Latest news with #TheChildren'sSociety
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Swift action' needed to stop child exploitation
Police, politicians and those who work with young people are asking what can be learnt from a case in Jersey where children were used to deliver drugs. Five adults involved in hiding drugs inside toys and posting them were sentenced on Wednesday and during the court case it was revealed more than 40 children in the island were involved. Constable Richard Vibert, Jersey's Minister for Children and Families, said the case should encourage people to speak out, while the Chief of Police Robin Smith said "if it's a shock to people, that's a good thing". Children's charities said everyone has a role to play in spotting the signs of exploitation and "taking swift action". The Royal Court heard children as young as 12 were threatened and manipulated to help distribute drugs across Jersey. The court was told the children were part of a network that sent £1.8m worth of drugs hidden inside teddies and other toys in the post. Vibert said the case highlighted "the degree to which we have exploitation of young people in our island. "I would hope that it would encourage children to have the confidence if they've been exploited or are still being exploited, to speak to someone that they can trust." Appearing on the Hot Seat on BBC Radio Jersey, Mr Smith praised the action of the community. He said: "It is about prevention, and informing parents like you and me about the signs to look out for. "You should feel worried, but you should be reassured. "What I find that gives me real reassurance is that when things happen, people come together, people mobilise." Young people's charity The Children's Society described such exploitation as "hugely traumatic" and capable of having "a devastating impact on the child's life". The charity's national programme manager, James Simmonds-Read, said: "Everyone has a role to play in spotting the signs of exploitation and taking swift action to get help, even if they're unsure. "From shop workers to taxi drivers, hotel receptionists and daily commuters, taking action could protect children and young people from abuse and lifelong trauma." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Drugs hidden inside teddies sent to child mules Government of Jersey The Children's Society
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Peterborough knitters create 50ft scarf for Dr Who exhibition
A team of knitters have used their skills to create a 50ft (15m) long scarf for an unofficial Doctor Who exhibition. Adventures in Time & Space, which opens at Peterborough Museum next month, asked the museum's resident knitting group to embrace the Time Lord's spirit and create the original neckwear worn by the fourth Doctor, played by actor Tom Baker, reportedly measured 18ft (5.5m), so this woolly masterpiece is more than three times its length."It took about six weeks to knit the scarf and we are really pleased to have gifted it to the museum to support the exhibition," a group spokeswoman said. As well as forming a great friendship group and support network, the 14 members raise money for The Children's Society by selling their hand-knitted items. The knitters, who are known as SCARF, said that after the exhibition ends in November, they plan to turn the scarf into shorter versions to donate to a local homeless charity in Peterborough. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Nantwich brothers take tiny bus on epic journey for charities
Three brothers from Cheshire are travelling from Land's End to John O' Groats in a tiny bus built in the 1940s for seaside children's Andrew and Will Emerton are taking on the challenge to raise money for three charities while celebrating the centenary of their family's roofing will take it in turns to drive the miniature petrol-powered bus, which has a top speed of about 12 miles per hour, and expect it to take eight days to complete the off on Good Friday, the brothers plan to pause in their home town of Nantwich on Easter Sunday, during the annual jazz and blues festival. They are raising money for the MPS Society, The Children's Society and Hope House Children's family has owned the vehicle, which is road legal, for about 20 years, Will said."It's got real charisma, it's a real head-turner when you're driving down the high street," he told BBC Radio was originally built to run up and down a promenade on the sea front, to give short rides to children in the 1950s and 1960s. 'Crazy idea' The bus is about 1m (3ft) tall and 2.5m (8ft) was Will's "crazy" idea to drive it the full length of the country, Andrew said."We were thinking of what we could do for charity, to raise some money, and Will came up with the idea and we all liked it."People have been waving and taking photos of them while they have been out and about around Nantwich on test far they raised about £11,000 and they hope to increase that during their journey."There's been a lot of work involved," James said they had given the bus a new chassis, new wheels and new axels to ensure it was ready for the will take it in turn to drive the bus, with a support vehicle accompanying them. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Britain's economic failures are fuelling the masculinity crisis
There has been some desperate straw clutching over the last week as confidence in the US plummets and American voters prepare to be poorer. Setting aside Donald Trump's recent backtracking, there has been a lot of chest-thumping pro-tariff talk about hyper-masculinity. Brush away those thoughts about economic hardship boys, because these tariffs are set to be the ultimate testosterone boost. Given that a recent poll by Marquette Law School showed that non-college white men were most likely to back the tariffs, it's an obvious pitch. Fox News pundits have already been plugging the idea, arguing that tariffs will bring back a 'manly' workforce because 'when you sit behind a screen all day, it makes you a woman'. Apparently, the trade war will cure America of its 'crisis of masculinity' by bringing alpha-male jobs back, even if the economy has completely imploded by then. Britain needs to pay careful attention to America's growing obsession with traditional 'manliness' because the same problems are happening here. We should be asking why the tariffs have struck such a chord with so many non-college white men, because in Britain, men are giving up on work faster than anywhere else in the richest parts of the world. The proportion of men aged 16 to 64 participating in Britain's labour force has plunged from a record high of 84pc in 2009 to 80.9pc in 2024 – a much bigger drop than in the US. Men are working shorter hours too, with only those over 65 putting in more hours since Covid. The outlook is particularly worrying among young men, as a growing number are not entering the working world at all. The number of 16-24-year-old men not in education, employment or training (Neets) is up 40pc since Covid, compared to just 7pc among women. The feeling of hopelessness starts from a worryingly young age, too – one in five 15-year-old boys in this country say they have low life satisfaction, according to The Children's Society's 2022 report. There are plenty of reasons why this is happening, but one often overlooked corner of the argument is how the definition of masculinity and any problems that follow correlate with economic policy. Studies have shown a clear link between economic and personal strife. A group of economists from MIT, the University of California and the University of Zurich warned in 2017 that 'trade shocks differentially reduce employment and earnings, raise the prevalence of idleness, and elevate premature mortality among young males', adding that shocks to male relative earnings 'reduce marriage and fertility'. This, they said, increases the number of children living in below-poverty, single-headed households. Despite huge cultural changes in family dynamics in recent decades, with more women working and more fathers involved at home, 70pc of men as young as 18 still believe that they should be the primary breadwinner in a relationship, according to a study of 3,000 UK adults conducted by Starling Bank last year. Studies have found that men in so-called 'medium-status' jobs are more miserable than women who are in the same position. In short, they are less willing to consider themselves professional 'average Joes' than women. At the same time, more people feel detached from their employer and overall job satisfaction levels are falling. With self-esteem so closely tied to employment status, those who feel career success isn't on the cards for them might be more likely to give up before they even get started and instead search for meaning elsewhere. The social contract that many men thought they were buying into – work hard, buy a house, have a family – seems out of reach for many. Work doesn't seem to be working and further gloom in the UK jobs market won't help matters. Britain is now suffering the worst downturn in the jobs market since lockdown, fuelled by a lack of job openings and an increase in redundancies. I have heard from men who have been desperately applying for jobs for months with no response, while others have given up and moved abroad. Men still earn more than women and continue to rule the roost in powerful leadership positions, but in reality, that high-profile club makes up a small percentage of the male population. Low wages and rising benefits have left millions of others adrift. How does Britain help them? The centre of attention here has understandably been on the social side, looking at smartphones, families, role models and the education system. All of that is important. But Donald Trump's focus on the economic impact has clearly struck a chord with lost men in the US. Economic opportunities have changed enormously as male-dominated sectors shrink. Yet his tariffs won't be the answer. Although it's true that the decline of sectors such as manufacturing has impacted male identity as the number of well-paid jobs for non-graduates has shrunk, a potential post-tariff recession combined with hard labour and inevitably low pay will not fix broken men. Britain can find a smarter answer. 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
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain's economic failures are fuelling the masculinity crisis
There has been some desperate straw clutching over the last week as confidence in the US plummets and American voters prepare to be poorer. Setting aside Donald Trump's recent backtracking, there has been a lot of chest-thumping pro-tariff talk about hyper-masculinity. Brush away those thoughts about economic hardship boys, because these tariffs are set to be the ultimate testosterone boost. Given that a recent poll by Marquette Law School showed that non-college white men were most likely to back the tariffs, it's an obvious pitch. Fox News pundits have already been plugging the idea, arguing that tariffs will bring back a 'manly' workforce because 'when you sit behind a screen all day, it makes you a woman'. Apparently, the trade war will cure America of its 'crisis of masculinity' by bringing alpha-male jobs back, even if the economy has completely imploded by then. Britain needs to pay careful attention to America's growing obsession with traditional 'manliness' because the same problems are happening here. We should be asking why the tariffs have struck such a chord with so many non-college white men, because in Britain, men are giving up on work faster than anywhere else in the richest parts of the world. The proportion of men aged 16 to 64 participating in Britain's labour force has plunged from a record high of 84pc in 2009 to 80.9pc in 2024 – a much bigger drop than in the US. Men are working shorter hours too, with only those over 65 putting in more hours since Covid. The outlook is particularly worrying among young men, as a growing number are not entering the working world at all. The number of 16-24-year-old men not in education, employment or training (Neets) is up 40pc since Covid, compared to just 7pc among women. The feeling of hopelessness starts from a worryingly young age, too – one in five 15-year-old boys in this country say they have low life satisfaction, according to The Children's Society's 2022 report. There are plenty of reasons why this is happening, but one often overlooked corner of the argument is how the definition of masculinity and any problems that follow correlate with economic policy. Studies have shown a clear link between economic and personal strife. A group of economists from MIT, the University of California and the University of Zurich warned in 2017 that 'trade shocks differentially reduce employment and earnings, raise the prevalence of idleness, and elevate premature mortality among young males', adding that shocks to male relative earnings 'reduce marriage and fertility'. This, they said, increases the number of children living in below-poverty, single-headed households. Despite huge cultural changes in family dynamics in recent decades, with more women working and more fathers involved at home, 70pc of men as young as 18 still believe that they should be the primary breadwinner in a relationship, according to a study of 3,000 UK adults conducted by Starling Bank last year. Studies have found that men in so-called 'medium-status' jobs are more miserable than women who are in the same position. In short, they are less willing to consider themselves professional 'average Joes' than women. At the same time, more people feel detached from their employer and overall job satisfaction levels are falling. With self-esteem so closely tied to employment status, those who feel career success isn't on the cards for them might be more likely to give up before they even get started and instead search for meaning elsewhere. The social contract that many men thought they were buying into – work hard, buy a house, have a family – seems out of reach for many. Work doesn't seem to be working and further gloom in the UK jobs market won't help matters. Britain is now suffering the worst downturn in the jobs market since lockdown, fuelled by a lack of job openings and an increase in redundancies. I have heard from men who have been desperately applying for jobs for months with no response, while others have given up and moved abroad. Men still earn more than women and continue to rule the roost in powerful leadership positions, but in reality, that high-profile club makes up a small percentage of the male population. Low wages and rising benefits have left millions of others adrift. How does Britain help them? The centre of attention here has understandably been on the social side, looking at smartphones, families, role models and the education system. All of that is important. But Donald Trump's focus on the economic impact has clearly struck a chord with lost men in the US. Economic opportunities have changed enormously as male-dominated sectors shrink. Yet his tariffs won't be the answer. Although it's true that the decline of sectors such as manufacturing has impacted male identity as the number of well-paid jobs for non-graduates has shrunk, a potential post-tariff recession combined with hard labour and inevitably low pay will not fix broken men.
