Latest news with #LiverpoolUniversity
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How Liverpool united after car ploughed into crowd
On what was a day of jubilant celebrations, the news of a car hitting a crowd of onlookers during Liverpool's Premier League victory parade sent shockwaves across the country. But, in the spirit of its famed kindness, the city quickly united as generous people offered to help with everything from messages of support to offers of lifts and accommodation. From opening up their homes to those who were stranded to offering car rides and food to those caught up in the horror, Merseyside pulled together. The overwhelming amount of generosity in the aftermath of incident on Monday evening has been praised by many. John and Kerri Davies, owners of J&K Travel, said they did not have to think twice about offering free transport to those who found themselves stranded - as public transport was overwhelmed. The couple – along with two of their colleagues – immediately headed to the scene in four minibuses to help. "We just wanted to get people home safely as we knew there wouldn't be any transportation," said Mrs Davies. "We called two members of staff and they didn't even question it. "They just jumped in their vehicles and headed over." Over the course of the evening, each minibus carried out four to five journeys back to Wirral. She said the overwhelming response of kindness was typical of the people of Merseyside. "We look after our own, everybody does everything to help everyone," she said. "We just wanted to do everything we could to help." Liverpool University student Oli Fountain, who lives five minutes for the scene, was among those who had also offered to help. Posting on X, he said: "Anyone stuck in town who can't get home give me a dm, have 2 sofas people can crash on, can put the kettle on and get people warm at least." Speaking to the BBC, he said this was a "normal response for the city". "The city really came together in the aftermath of Southport stabbing and again last night," he said. "It makes me proud to live here." Charlotte Hennessy, who lives in Flint, said she was "so proud to be a Red yesterday" as the fans all came together. Ms Hennessey, whose father James was among the 97 killed in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, was back at her home when the incident unfolded and was among those who offered to collect fans stuck in Liverpool. She said it was the "Scouse way" to want to help others. "It's just the way we are," she added. "People were offering to help strangers - sharing hotel rooms, offering to pick them up and offering them money," she said. Nisha Katona, who is the founder of Mowgli Street Food, also praised her team "who were incredible in their calm maturity, resourcefulness and quick kindness" when its restaurant in Liverpool became a medical centre. "In the face of trauma their live for our beloved city and our Liverpool people was immediate and immense," she said. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch hailed people's "extraordinary compassion" after the incident. She posted on X: "Those who target joyful celebrations and our happiest moments, who care not for the welfare of little children are beneath contempt. "A stark contrast to the people of Liverpool who responded with extraordinary compassion, offering lifts, shelter, food, and more. Liverpool stood firm, displaying kindness and decency in the face of horror." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Dozens injured after car ploughs into Liverpool crowd as police say not terror-related 'It missed us by inches': Witnesses describe car driving into crowd at Liverpool FC parade What we know about the Liverpool FC parade incident Moment car drives into crowd at Liverpool trophy parade
ITV News
07-05-2025
- ITV News
Tech abuse: What is digital coercive control and why is it increasing?
Katie Templeton-Knight has been exploring the issue of technology-facilitated abuse for ITV News. You may find some of the details in this report distressing. A woman from north Cumbria has spoken anonymously to ITV News, describing the years of technology-facilitated abuse and sexual violence she faced by a former partner. Charities warn that coercive control through technology is increasing and as technology evolves, it's becoming easier for perpetrators to commit these types of crimes. A woman we are calling Sarah told ITV News that initially she thought it was "sweet" and "loving" that her former partner wanted to know where she was all the time. However, she soon started to realise that something much more sinister was happening. He would frequently turn up in places she was, which he would claim was coincidental. He also knew information about her that she had only told close friends. Sarah did not know this until much later, but by going through her phone when she was not looking, he found her passwords, photos and private messages. After discovering the password to her iCloud, he logged on through his own phone, which allowed him to track her every move. He could see who she was talking to, what she was booking online and how much money she was spending. He started to control who she was allowed to text and later installed spyware apps on her phone. When she tried to leave the relationship, he threatened to publish her private photos and messages on social media. Following years of abuse, she went to the police, and the perpetrator received a lengthy prison sentence. What is digital coercive control? Digital coercive control refers to when technology is weaponised by a perpetrator so that they can control, harass or intimidate their partner. It is a type of technology-facilitated domestic abuse or 'tech abuse'. Examples of this can include restricting someone's access to their devices, cyberstalking, using social media, hidden cameras, or even smart home devices like thermostats or speakers. Coercive control has been a crime since 2015, but it wasn't until the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 that the definition was expanded to include coercive control through technology. The Online Safety Bill, passed in 2023, also identified controlling and coercive behaviour as a 'priority offence', which means tech companies need to both prevent and remove coercive control content from their sites. However, this is difficult to enforce when it takes place away from social media platforms, including over text. To meet rising demand, Refuge set up a specialist technology-facilitated abuse service in 2017. Between the first year of service to 2024, they've seen a 207% increase in referrals. But they say this could be just the tip of the iceberg, as there's limited research done into just how common this issue is. How the police investigate these crimes: A report by Liverpool University looked at several police forces in the North of England, including Cumbria, Merseyside and Durham. The report found that even when coercive control was suspected, officers could not easily distinguish it from behaviour that was not abusive. For example, sending lots of messages in the early days of a relationship could be the sign of excitement and mutual attraction, or it could indicate monitoring. The report also found that when gathering evidence of these crimes, basic but essential information was missing. This included telephone numbers, profile names and IDs, and screenshots which could have been used as initial evidence or to identify the correct social media profile. Police forces say that they've made changes to address these concerns. For example, in the last year, Cumbria Police has increased the number of specialist investigators looking specifically at technology-related crimes. The force has also developed a 'digital toolkit' to provide training and resources on how to spot digital coercive control. Over the past few years, Cumbria Police has seized surveillance devices and hidden cameras disguised as everyday items such as vanity mirrors or USB sticks disguised as car keys. How can you protect yourself? One of the most troubling aspects of this type of abuse is that some people do not realise that it is happening to them. Perpetrators can download spyware and surveillance apps onto their partner's phones without their knowledge, especially if the perpetrator is controlling their partner's access to their phone. However, there is support and advice available through any of the resources below if you believe you might be at risk. Domestic Abuse Advice and Support: Refuge Refuge supports more than 6,000 clients on any one day, helping them rebuild their lives and overcome many different forms of violence and abuse. They have a step-by-step guide online as well as an interactive tool about how to secure your phone if you suspect technology-facilitated abuse is happening to you. If you, or someone you care about, is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call The National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. The Revenge Porn Helpline The Revenge Porn Helpline supports all adult victims of intimate image abuse living in the UK. This includes those who have had private sexual images shared without consent, threatened to be shared without consent, or taken without consent. We also provide advice and information to those targeted by sextortion and webcam blackmail. If you have been a victim of intimate image abuse, a helpline practitioner can give you advice and support. The number is 0345 6000 459. Or you can send an email or online live chat. Women's Aid Women's Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. They have been at the forefront of shaping and coordinating responses to domestic violence and abuse through practice for more than 45 years. Freedom Project The Freedom Project is a free domestic abuse charity based in West Cumbria, working with victims, perpetrators and children suffering from trauma and effects of domestic and sexual abuse. ManKind: The Mankind Initiative is the principal, expert and specialist charity in the UK focussing on male victims of domestic abuse. The charity collaborates and works in close partnership with other organisations and practitioners to support these victims too. It was the first in Great Britain to support male victims.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Farage is right. We must roll back DEI nonsense
'When you first meet someone, you don't want to ask about their pronouns,' reads new guidance issued by Liverpool University. 'This could make them feel like you're asking them to out themselves as transgender, agender, or non-binary, which they might not want to do, particularly if you work in a conservative office.' You'd think we would all be immune to the upside-down world of woke by now. That after years of wild flip-flopping over what's right and wrong, we would be used to being heralded as a saintly progressive on a Tuesday (for using a certain term or word) and cancelled on a Wednesday (for being insensitive enough to use that same word). But even by these non-coherent standards, Liverpool University's new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) guidance stopped me in my tracks. Let me get this straight: after years of telling us that it's basically a criminal offence not to ask every single person we interact with 'how they identify' on that particular morning, we're now being informed that this is forbidden? A disgraceful and potentially shaming thing to do? No wonder people agree with Reform's description of DEI as 'complete nonsense'. No wonder they greeted Nigel Farage's incendiary comments on Friday – 'If you're a DEI officer, I suggest you look for another job' – with a virtual cheer. What saddens me is that it didn't have to be nonsense. Like the paper straws that incurred a disproportionate level of ire (from Donald Trump, above all), the basic idea was obviously good. It's the ramming down one's throat that people object to. (And, in the case of the straws, the sogginess.) Do you know anyone who would argue that a framework focussed on creating fair and inclusive environments for all is a bad idea? Aside from the guy who sits outside the entrance of my local tube station muttering racial slurs, I don't. Beating people over the head with it, though? That's not going to help your cause. Creating a whole new nonsensical and ungrammatical language that must be spoken fluently or else? Not the way to do it. But most self-defeating is the seemingly constant rule changing. I do believe that the majority of us are well-meaning in this regard. That we may not always be tactful or graceful in the way that we phrase things, and that it may sometimes take certain sectors of society a moment to get used to how fast the world is changing, but that the will to be inclusive is, essentially, there. What a shame that instead of capitalising on that willingness to overcome any existing prejudices, DEI managed to put people off not just the driving concept but the very word 'inclusion'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Farage is right. We must roll back DEI nonsense
'When you first meet someone, you don't want to ask about their pronouns,' reads new guidance issued by Liverpool University. 'This could make them feel like you're asking them to out themselves as transgender, agender, or non-binary, which they might not want to do, particularly if you work in a conservative office.' You'd think we would all be immune to the upside-down world of woke by now. That after years of wild flip-flopping over what's right and wrong, we would be used to being heralded as a saintly progressive on a Tuesday (for using a certain term or word) and cancelled on a Wednesday (for being insensitive enough to use that same word). But even by these non-coherent standards, Liverpool University's new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) guidance stopped me in my tracks. Let me get this straight: after years of telling us that it's basically a criminal offence not to ask every single person we interact with 'how they identify' on that particular morning, we're now being informed that this is forbidden? A disgraceful and potentially shaming thing to do? No wonder people agree with Reform's description of DEI as 'complete nonsense'. No wonder they greeted Nigel Farage's incendiary comments on Friday – 'If you're a DEI officer, I suggest you look for another job' – with a virtual cheer. What saddens me is that it didn't have to be nonsense. Like the paper straws that incurred a disproportionate level of ire (from Donald Trump, above all), the basic idea was obviously good. It's the ramming down one's throat that people object to. (And, in the case of the straws, the sogginess.) Do you know anyone who would argue that a framework focussed on creating fair and inclusive environments for all is a bad idea? Aside from the guy who sits outside the entrance of my local tube station muttering racial slurs, I don't. Beating people over the head with it, though? That's not going to help your cause. Creating a whole new nonsensical and ungrammatical language that must be spoken fluently or else? Not the way to do it. But most self-defeating is the seemingly constant rule changing. I do believe that the majority of us are well-meaning in this regard. That we may not always be tactful or graceful in the way that we phrase things, and that it may sometimes take certain sectors of society a moment to get used to how fast the world is changing, but that the will to be inclusive is, essentially, there. What a shame that instead of capitalising on that willingness to overcome any existing prejudices, DEI managed to put people off not just the driving concept but the very word 'inclusion'.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
University students are 'told not to ask a person's pronouns' in case it's triggering
Students at Liverpool University have now been told asking someone for their pronouns is not inclusive and could be triggering. In new diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) guidance, obtained by The Telegraph, students and staff at the Russel Group university were warned asking someone to disclose their pronouns could make them feel pressured to 'out themselves' as transgender. It reads: 'When you first meet someone, you don't want to ask about their pronouns,' the guidance reads. 'This could make them feel like you're asking them to out themselves as transgender, agender, or non-binary, which they might not want to do, particularly if you work in a conservative office.' Liverpool University, which has been part of the Diversity Champions scheme at controversial transgender charity Stonewall since 2009, told students they should instead introduce themselves with their own pronouns. According to the guidance this is 'an important indicator of support for trans and non-binary people' and by 'sharing your own pronouns, you're allowing the other person to share theirs, but not forcing them to'. It says 'this small action' can make the environment more 'inclusive for everyone to work and study no matter their gender'. Staff are told to put have their pronouns in their email signature and to mention them when they introduce themselves whilst also only referring to students as 'they/them' until they have confirmed their pronouns. Both staff and students are told the phrase 'preferred pronouns' is 'incorrect' and should not be used because the word 'preferred' suggests someone's gender 'is a preference'. The guidance says declaring pronouns is a 'personal decision' and people should not be forced to share them but adds that ;it can make a real difference in reassuring' trans, non-binary, and LGBQT+ staff and students 'they are welcome and accepted'. It also says switching to 'gender-neutral pronouns' for everyone 'ultimately doesn't require too much effort' but could make 'a huge difference in creating a warmer, more inclusive workplace environment for everyone'. The general secretary for the Free Speech Union, Lord Young, told The Telegraph the guidance demonstrate that 'what is politically correct in the trans community changes every 10 minutes'. He added that it feels 'a bit 2024' in light of the Supreme Court judgement and suggested universities stop issuing these guides as 'they cannot hope to keep up'. Director of campaign group Don't Divide Us, Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, told the publication as 'human beings' we are able to speak to each other and can work out 'difference, hurts and offences' on our own without needing 'approval or gold stars'. She added it is an 'elemental freedom of being a free citizen in a democratic society' and that 'policing this, in whatever guise, encourages authoritarianism'. A spokesman for the University of Liverpool told The Telegraph: 'We are fundamentally committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and students, and proud to be a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community. 'This guidance - which is not mandatory - is intended to support inclusive communication and sits within our broader efforts to foster a respectful and supportive environment.'
