Latest news with #NDNA
Belfast Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Department of Health accused of undermining New Decade, New Approach in row over funding of Derry addiction centre
It comes as the Irish Government says it 'remains fully committed to the implementation of the agreement'. Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Colum Eastwood asked what discussions the Government has had with the Northern Ireland Executive about funding for the Northlands Addiction Treatment Centre. The Foyle representative said the organisation has 'saved countless lives in Derry'. "Now they're being told by the Department of Health and Stormont that their core funding has been cut and that this money is not guaranteed to them,' Mr Eastwood continued. 'Does the minister agree with me that the Department of Health is in no position at all to undermine an international agreement?' In response, Fleur Anderson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for NI said: 'The honourable member is a powerful advocate for his constituents, for the Northlands centre and for the need for services to tackle the scourge of addiction. 'I join him in recognising the need for support for people with addictions, but it is now up to the Department for Health, it's devolved, to bring forward a business plan based on their review of addiction services for what will provide the best support to the most people.' Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has been accused of 'backtracking' on a UK Government pledge to fund a new addiction treatment centre in Derry. In 2022 it was confirmed that £1m was available for Northlands Addiction Treatment Centre to build a new facility as soon as Stormont approved a business case. During a Westminster Hall debate in November of that year, NIO Minister Steve Baker expressed his 'personal commitment' that this money needs to get into Northlands and to deliver against NDNA. Despite this intergovernmental agreement, the health department removed £63,215 of core funding from Northlands this year and said a review of addiction services 'does not recommend' a new centre in the north west. Meanwhile, Aontú representative for Ballyarnett, Emmet Doyle, has received confirmation that the Irish government remains committed to the promises made under the terms of the NDNA agreement – and that it is the understanding of the Irish Government that it is for the Department of Health to develop a business case to secure the money. But Mr Doyle said DoH has not done so five years after the NDNA deal was agreed and confirmed that he has engaged with party leader Peadar Tóibín TD who submitted a Parliamentary Question to the Tánaiste. "The New Decade New Approach agreement reached in January 2020 was a significant achievement by the political parties in Northern Ireland and the two governments to restore the power-sharing institutions first established by the Good Friday Agreement,' Simon Harris said. 'We remain fully committed to the full implementation of the agreement. 'I am aware of the matter raised by the Deputy in respect of a funding commitment made by the UK government for an addiction centre in Derry. 'The implementation of this commitment is a matter for the UK government and the devolved authorities. 'I understand that there is ongoing and regular contact between UK government officials and their counterparts in the Department of Health, and that it is now for the latter to develop a business case arising from this commitment." Mr Doyle said it is clear now that both governments are 'firm in their belief' that the Department of Health need to provide a business case to unlock the promised £1m. 'The health minister needs to make an unequivocal statement as to what work, if any, his Department has engaged in to secure the money, and how he will progress this NDNA commitment,' he continued. 'We will continue to hold feet to the fire about the absolute need for this funding to be delivered and expose the agenda behind its neglect for the last five years."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Grand Forks Herald wins four special awards at North Dakota Newspaper Association event
May 13—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks Herald won four of the seven special awards in the North Dakota Newspaper Association's Better Newspapers Contest. The results were announced Friday evening at the NDNA's annual convention, this year held at the Avalon in Fargo. The convention capped an eventful spring for Herald staff members, many of whom were entered in other contests as well. The Herald took first for public notice journalism, First Amendment reporting and community service, as well as the General Excellence Award, determined by judging news, sports and feature coverage, editing, opinion pages, advertising, photography, design and "overall product," according to the contest guidelines. The Herald's "focus on community was evident throughout the pages," wrote the General Excellence judge, representing the West Virginia Newspaper Association. The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead won the Sweepstakes Award, given to the newspaper that accumulates the most award points throughout the day, while former Herald intern Maeve Hushman, a UND graduate, won the NDNA's Rookie of the Year Award. She won the award while writing for the Bismarck Tribune. Also, Herald reporter Sav Kelly finished second in a new special category that focused on investigative journalism. Her entry included continued coverage of a shooting death in rural East Grand Forks. The Community Service Award was given to the Herald team of Kelly, Matthew Voigt and Korrie Wenzel for the newspaper's coverage of a deadly traffic crash on Highway 2 west of town, and continued coverage about the safety of that intersection. It also included a number of letters to the editor that the Herald encouraged readers to submit, providing their opinions on what should be done about the intersection. The Public Notice Journalism Award went to the team of Joshua Irvine and Wenzel, while the First Amendment Reporting Award went to the team of Delaney Otto, Kelly and Wenzel. In addition to the NDNA special awards, Herald staff members and teams earned 18 first-place awards and finished with 55 awards overall. The individual awards were handed out during lunch-time ceremonies, while the major awards were announced during a banquet-style event at the end of the day. "Well, this has been quite a day," said Wenzel, the Herald's publisher. "I thought we did very well in the afternoon for the individual awards, but then to see this kind of success at the end of the day — and in the really coveted categories — was very special." Eric Hylden won three first-place awards in photography, while other individual first-place winners included Chuck Haga (serious column), Abby Sharpe (sports feature), Brad Schlossman (sports series), Irvine (spot news) and Wenzel (government reporting). The Herald's advertising department earned 16 awards, including seven first-place finishes and nine seconds. All of the advertising awards were team efforts and thus generally attributed to "staff." Also in recent weeks, the Herald also won sports-related awards in contests sponsored by two other associations. In late April, Hylden won first place nationally in the Associated Press Sports Editors Association Division D for a feature photo he took at Kings Walk Golf Course. Also, Schlossman earned three Top 10 awards, finishing second in both explanatory writing and for his beat coverage of the UND hockey team. He also finished in the Top 10 in column writing. Sharpe placed fifth nationally in two APSE categories, including breaking news coverage and feature reporting. Herald Sports Editor Tom Miller was named the 2024 North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Sportswriter of the Year. Miller received the honor for the third time in the last seven years. And on May 9, Pamela Knudson, a features reporter for the Herald, had seven first-place finishes, eight second-place finishes, a third-place finish and an honorable mention at the North Dakota Professional Communicators spring conference and awards ceremony . Following are the Herald's individual news awards from the NDNA contest, announced Friday in Fargo: General Excellence: First place. Public notice journalism: First place, team of Joshua Irvine and Korrie Wenzel. First Amendment reporting: First place, team of Sav Kelly, Delaney Otto and Korrie Wenzel. Community service: First place, Herald staff. Investigative journalism: Second place, Sav Kelly. News reporting: Sav Kelly, third place; Joshua Irvine, honorable mention. News series: Sav Kelly, second place. Feature reporting: Herald staff, honorable mention. Feature series: Delaney Otto, third place; Herald staff, honorable mention. Government reporting: Korrie Wenzel, first place; Sav Kelly, honorable mention. Government reporting series: Delaney Otto, honorable mention. Spot news: Joshua Irvine, first place; Delaney Otto, honorable mention. Sports section: Grand Forks Herald sports staff, first place. Sports reporting: Brad Schlossman, third place. Sports series: Brad Schlossman, first place; Tom Miller/Abby Sharpe, second place. Sports feature: Abby Sharpe, first place. Sports column: Brad Schlossman, third place. Editorial writing: Korrie Wenzel, third place. Editorial page: Korrie Wenzel, third place. Ag coverage: Sav Kelly, honorable mention. Column, serious: Chuck Haga, first place; Brad Dokken, second place; honorable mention, Korrie Wenzel. Column, humorous: Chuck Haga, second place. Special section: Brad Schlossman, second place. Best headline: Hannah Shirley, third place; Joshua Irvine, honorable mention. Info graphic: Matthew Voigt, third place. Best website: Herald staff, third place. Online coverage: Sav Kelly, third place. Overall design: Herald, first place. News photo: Eric Hylden, third place. Spot news photo: Eric Hylden, third place. Feature photo: Korrie Wenzel, honorable mention. Sports photo: Eric Hylden, second place. Picture story: Eric Hylden, first place. Portrait photo: Eric Hylden, first place. Outdoor recreation photo: Eric Hylden, first place.
West Australian
06-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
NDNA 2025: Williams score commanding 40-goal win over Pingelly in opening round of A1 competition
NDNA 2025: Williams score commanding 40-goal win over Pingelly in opening round of A1 competition
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Schools welcome new and expanded nurseries
More than 40 primary schools across north-west England will get new or expanded on-site nurseries under a £37m government scheme. Schools across the country were invited to apply for funding to create new nurseries or add additional places at their current ones. A total of 42 schools across the region have been awarded funds. While the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the expansion could help create places in areas where there is was capacity, it warned "they must not threaten the existing high-quality provision". Niall Owens, head teacher of St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Coppull, said the news arrived on 1 April "so we were slightly sceptical". "It was hard to believe at first," Mr Owens said. "We are delighted that we will be able to use surplus space to welcome three-year-olds into the school. "Pupils will receive a high-quality nursery education, which will ensure they are ready for the challenges of primary school." Alex Borrill, head teacher of Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton, said the news of the funding came "later than we had hoped", which made the preparation for the September term "a bit more challenging". "This was an opportunity we couldn't let pass. The application window was tight, but we knew it was a priority and one we needed to pursue. Without this funding, making this project a reality would not have been possible." Jo Grundy, head teacher at Unsworth Primary School in Bury, said as well as the government finance, it had also received additional funding from its trust, Oak Learning Partnership, to build its new preschool. "Having a preschool within a school setting makes the transition from nursery to school so much easier for children as they are already familiar with their new environment and routines," Ms Grundy said. Jason Elsom, chief executive of non-profit Parentkind said many parents "struggle with finding good quality childcare". "Parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon," he said. "We know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children. "[The grant] will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life." The NDNA said "with existing providers facing issues of underfunding, higher staffing costs and local recruitment challenges, these new nurseries must not damage or undermine established early years settings". "From the start of this month, private and voluntary providers are facing huge increases in their operating costs, including statutory wage increases, new National Insurance Contribution costs and utility bills to name a few," the executive chair of the NDNA, Purnima Tanuku CBE, said "Nurseries across the country have already started to work with schools and families of children making the important transition into school. It is wrong to suggest that school nurseries are better for children transitioning into reception." Overall, 300 schools across England are creating new or expanded nurseries under the scheme. The government recently announced the rollout of 30-hour, centrally-funded childcare per child from September, which it said would save parents up to £7,500 on average. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. Department for Education Parentkind National Day Nurseries Association 'National Insurance rise may force us to close' Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried Who can get 15 and 30 hours of free childcare?
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Schools welcome new and expanded nurseries
More than 40 primary schools across north-west England will get new or expanded on-site nurseries under a £37m government scheme. Schools across the country were invited to apply for funding to create new nurseries or add additional places at their current ones. A total of 42 schools across the region have been awarded funds. While the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the expansion could help create places in areas where there is was capacity, it warned "they must not threaten the existing high-quality provision". Niall Owens, head teacher of St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Coppull, said the news arrived on 1 April "so we were slightly sceptical". "It was hard to believe at first," Mr Owens said. "We are delighted that we will be able to use surplus space to welcome three-year-olds into the school. "Pupils will receive a high-quality nursery education, which will ensure they are ready for the challenges of primary school." Alex Borrill, head teacher of Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton, said the news of the funding came "later than we had hoped", which made the preparation for the September term "a bit more challenging". "This was an opportunity we couldn't let pass. The application window was tight, but we knew it was a priority and one we needed to pursue. Without this funding, making this project a reality would not have been possible." Jo Grundy, head teacher at Unsworth Primary School in Bury, said as well as the government finance, it had also received additional funding from its trust, Oak Learning Partnership, to build its new preschool. "Having a preschool within a school setting makes the transition from nursery to school so much easier for children as they are already familiar with their new environment and routines," Ms Grundy said. Jason Elsom, chief executive of non-profit Parentkind said many parents "struggle with finding good quality childcare". "Parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon," he said. "We know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children. "[The grant] will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life." The NDNA said "with existing providers facing issues of underfunding, higher staffing costs and local recruitment challenges, these new nurseries must not damage or undermine established early years settings". "From the start of this month, private and voluntary providers are facing huge increases in their operating costs, including statutory wage increases, new National Insurance Contribution costs and utility bills to name a few," the executive chair of the NDNA, Purnima Tanuku CBE, said "Nurseries across the country have already started to work with schools and families of children making the important transition into school. It is wrong to suggest that school nurseries are better for children transitioning into reception." Overall, 300 schools across England are creating new or expanded nurseries under the scheme. The government recently announced the rollout of 30-hour, centrally-funded childcare per child from September, which it said would save parents up to £7,500 on average. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. Department for Education Parentkind National Day Nurseries Association 'National Insurance rise may force us to close' Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried Who can get 15 and 30 hours of free childcare?
