Clone Wars launched this weekend

A new charity supporting people with a rare bone marrow disease, has secured agreement from Star Wars creators Lucas Film to use their Stormtroooper logo to highlight their ‘Clone Wars.’

To be launched formally on Saturday 19 November 2011, at Newton Mearns Baptist Church by Patron Humza Yousaf, MSP, the charity is called PNH. This stands for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). People with this potentially life-threatening disease can suffer organ failure. Said Humza: ‘Those with a rare disease, such as PNH, not only suffer from that but also have to deal with feelings of isolation. They will very rarely come across others with the same condition.’

In PNH patients the bone marrow causes blood cells to be produced incorrectly. The percentage of abnormal PNH cells in the blood is called the “clone size” hence ‘Clone Wars.’

Founder and Chairperson of PNH Scotland, Lesley Loeliger also commented: ‘My aim in setting up the PNH Scotland charity is to raise awareness of this ultra-rare and debilitating bone marrow disease. As a PNH sufferer myself, I know how important it is to have a point of contact and up-to-date information and that is exactly what PNH Scotland intends to provide.’

Added Humza: ‘ I am honoured to be made Patron. Not only will the group raise awareness of the condition but it will give much needed support to those suffering, many of whom have no-one to turn to for help and advice.’  Lesley is a former neighbour of Humza’s. He said: ‘ I saw her when she was first diagnosed and have seen her right the way through her journey from then.’

 

 

 

Election candidates background

Complaints of a dirty environment in the Hillhead Ward 11 area, were the major issue for local residents, most candidates found.

Newly elected Councillor  Ken Andrew, SNP, said he’s never seen anything like some of the back lanes he was shown. ‘One in particular was ‘eye watering,’ it was so bad.’  He polled 1026 votes at stage one and1851 finally at stage seven.

Martin McElroy, Scottish Labour Party, found parking was a major problem for people. He was also ahead of the game in promoting concern for graduates to get them into jobs instead of ‘working in coffee shops.’ He said: ‘ I didn’t know Councillor Gordon Matheson was going to announce a new scheme for jobs for graduates but I’m glad he did for it is something we’ve overlooked.’ His vote at Stage one  was 945 and 1276 at stage six.

His first election, the PA to MSP Paul Martin admitted he ‘didn’t sleep a wink’ the night before polling day.

Coming in a respectable third place with 435 votes on the first stage of the count and 639 at stage five,  Green Party candidate Stuart Leckie considered the low turnout was ‘a big problem for the democratic process.’

Conservative and Unionist Party candidate Maya Forrest was eliminated at stage four with 441 votes compared to 372 votes at stage 1. She found underage drinking, anti social behaviour, potholes and litter among the main problems for residents. ‘Having fought so hard to establish Station Park, and been very proud to see how good it had become, it really hurts to see  it abused by some young people.’

Liberal Democrat Ewan Hoyle was eliminated at stage 4 with 311 votes compared to 307 at stage one.  Working on his dissertation on public policy, he found parking, lack of Council cleanliness and poorly maintained properties – by both landlords and tenants – were the main issues on the street.

Neil Craig of UK Independence Party (UKIP) picked up one vote between stage one and stage two to go from 36 to 37. Running a science fiction book shop in Woodlands, he said his was the only party in Scotland that believed a ‘free market really works.’ Expelled from the Lib Dems because he believed in a free market, he said, he admitted he’d expected to do better. ‘But I’ve not done this before. It won’t put me off and I plan to run again in May at the Glasgow City Council elections.’ He pointed out that candidates were not allowed to put up posters. ‘That must have depressed the vote for everyone,’ he said.

Britannica Party candidate Charles Baillie received 11 votes and was first to be eliminated from the ballot. A semi-retired, self-employed electrical contractor from Springburn, he emphasised that his party welcomed people who were British nationality when that was their only nationality. In referring to the Scottish National Party he  said: ‘Separatism is an issue.’

With such a low poll and a new, electronic counting and calculating equipment that worked for the single transferable voting system, the polling station in the new Hillhead Primary school was closed shortly after 11pm.

 

 

SNP retain Hillhead seat by narrow margin

The Hillhead by-election was a close run thing with Ken Andrew for the Scottish National Party (SNP) winning the Ward 11 seat by 81 votes over Martin McElroy of Labour.

That margin rose to 110 at stage six of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) when the count was taken in the new Hillhead Primary School last night, Thursday 17 November.

Said Glasgow City Council’s Labour leader, Gordon Matheson, afterwards at the count: ‘There’s all to play for in May.’ And SNP Deputy Leader, Nicola Sturgeon used exactly the same phrase when she issued her congratulations.

In a shockingly low turnout of 3172 voters (13.65%) of whom 40 managed to spoil their voting paper, the SNP took a 44% share with Labour not far behind with 40%.

Newly elected Councillor Ken Andrews said:’I'm privileged to have been elected for Hillhead and I’m looking forward to going straight to work with people across the area, building on the work done by my predecessor George Roberts. SNP Councillor Roberts died in September after a short illness.

Oatlands heading for election

Oatlands is on the way to establishing its own Community Council.  A public meeting this week in the OCRC approved a draft constitution with extra time being allowed to enable to two members of the Oatlands Development Trust to read the draft documents and offer any amendments.

Stewart Burns of Glasgow City Council’s CommunityCouncils’  Resource Centre led the group of around 20 local residents through the process and explained the details. ‘The constitution is effectively similar to the constitution used across all community councils in Scotland,’ he said. ‘In June, Glasgow City Council formally approved The Scheme which came out of extensive working groups across the country to co-ordinate and rationalise Community Councils and their procedures.’

He anticipated the formal first election of Community Councillors for Oatlands could be held around 15 December.  Once elected, their first meeting would be in January.

The photograph shows some of the members of the original steering group: (from left) Tracy Noble, Lisa Gillen, Marie Reilly,  Stewart Burns, Councillor Jahangir Hanif, Donna Motherwell, Jane Cawley.

 

Rare look at Japanese ritual

Kanzeon is a rare experience of Japanese culture. Part documentary and part sensory exploration of sound in Japanese Buddhism, it reveals ancient rituals and the extraordinary music that is a part of them. The audience is invited to become immersed in the whole.

Screened on Friday 25 November starting at 6.30pm in the Memorial (Interfaith) Chapel in the Square, Glasgow University, the film was produced this year. Directors Neil Cantwell and Tim Grabham will answer questions afterwards. The event is jointly organised by the Chaplaincy and Japan Desk Scotland. For further information email:japandeskscotland@googlemail.com or see the website: http://www.kanzeonthemovie.com/

Dawning of new dawn raid terror

Within days of telling a conference in Glasgow that the UK Borders Agency was ‘more compassionate with a new family returns process that was fair,’ the Director of Asylum at UKBA, Emma Churchill, was proven wrong.

A 7am raid by seven officers of the Agency broke down single mother Funke Olubiyi’s door as her five-year-old son, Joseph, slept and she was undressing to step into a bath.

The mother and child were removed from their flat in Govan, taken to nearby Brand Street where, eventually, the child was allowed to have something to eat. Then the family was taken by road to the Agency’s new family detention centre ‘Cedars’ in the village of Pease Pottage close to Crawley in Sussex. They are believed to be the first family from Scotland to be taken there. That was ‘home’ for three days and nights as last minute attempts were made to get an injunction on medical grounds.

Speaking from Nigeria, Funke described how nine immigration officials, guards and a doctor accompanied the little family aboard a plane which took them back to Nigeria. According to UNITY, a volunteer network of asylum seekers and friends, Funke said she was OK and staying with friends. She thanked everyone who had tried to fight for her.

A day earlier the UKBA had detained another single mother and her baby during a dawn raid but she managed to convince the immigration officials to release her after being held at Brand Street for more than seven hours.
Said a spokesman at UNITY: ‘These two raids mark the return of dawn raids to Glasgow following a period of several years when the UKBA had almost totally stopped raiding asylum seeker families. Despite holding Funke and Joseph for three days and three nights in their ‘pre-departure accommodation’ at Cedars which with its 2.5 metre tall perimeter fence is run by security firm G4S, the UKBA still insist: ‘We do not detain children.’
To protest at this return to inhumane actions, everyone who is concerned by the UK BA’s recent dawn raids is asked by UNITY to support a rally outside the UK BA’s headquarters in Festival Court, Brand Street, Govan on Monday 21 November from 10am. ‘We want to make it clear once and for all that the UKBA using dawn raids and the detention of families is just not acceptable.’

The United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day is on Sunday 20 November and is supposed to be set aside to promote the welfare of the children of the world.

Gary Christie, Head of Policy and Communications at the Scottish Refugee Council, said: ‘We are very concerned. After the UK Coalition Government promised to end child detention in 2010 the Home Office undertook to improve the way in which children and families were treated in the asylum process. The new Family Returns Process (FRP) was intended to treat families with children more humanely if their case had been refused. We have grave concerns about how this process is being rolled out in practice.

‘We are not convinced that all the steps of the process are being followed here in Scotland.

‘We are also highly concerned that individuals, communities and organisations working with asylum-seeking families are not being fully informed about the new process by the UK Border Agency. This has meant people in Glasgow are yet again filled with fear and panic over what could happen to them and their children.

‘It is absolutely vital that the UK Government sticks to its commitment to improve child welfare within the asylum system; and that the UK Border Agency staff working on the ground treat families and children with respect and care in all stages, particularly the end of the process, when families may be at their most vulnerable.’

Tartan tactics win in China

A unique opportunity to learn how to do business in China will be given to companies who attend the China-Britain Business Council’s event in Glasgow on Thursday 17 November.

The places to go and challenges and pitfalls to expect,  will be related by Stewart Ferguson and Mavis Yang of the Council.  Said Stewart – who learned to speak Mandarin at the age of 16: ‘ Our research shows that UK companies are not as familiar as they need to be with the lesser known cities of China. We’ve identified 35 major cities where there are real opportunities across all business sectors.’

The research was done by the Council and the Centre of International Business at the University of Leeds for and UK Trade and Industry.

Among the companies sharing their experience in China are Glasgow based architects Keppie Design who first became active there in 2009 and opened an office in Hong Kong last year. That has now become the centre for Keppie’s developing workload across targeted sectors in the China region.

For more information contact CBBC Scotland at 1st floor, 30 George Square, G2 1EQ or  tel: 0141 204 8322 or 8353 or email:

wendy.liu@cbbc.org

 

EDITORIAL

The Princess Royal popped in to the Riverside Museum to open it formally. She was almost the 1 millionth visitor.  In less than six months since the public started streaming into the iconic building, more than 900,000 people have entered. There is no doubt it is popular.

On  similar floor space to the old Transport Museum, there are more than double the number of items on display.  Some of the interactive games were designed by school children who also serve on a Junior Board.  There is no doubt there is a lot to see and do.

But transport to get to and from the place is difficult.

Try walking from the city centre. Choose the picturesque river walkway. It is blocked at several points necessitating the walker to move out to the main road. Then, once off the walkway and past the heliport at the former pump house where the Tall Ship was moored for a long time, the person on foot walks on earth, finds derelict land fenced off to the left and rough embankment leading up to the road on the right. And along the entire route there is only one make-shift sign.

Alternatively, take the river crossing from Govan. Well you can’t now. It has closed for the winter. And there must be a question mark over the cost of such a large vessel being used to cross the few metres from one bank of the river to the other. A small open boat with an outboard engine would do the job in a more sustainable fashion.

Let’s get the connections improved before the 1 million mark. Then everyone can be equally proud of this gem of a place.

Princess Royal opens Riverside Museum

The Princess Royal delighted more than 150 special guests at Glasgow’s new £74 million Riverside Museum when she formally opened it today. (Friday 11 November 2011)
Pupils of St Constantine’s Primary School in Govan who are on the Junior Board at the Museum and who had designed one of the interactive games which are proving so popular, had a ringside view as the Royal party left. Said Luis McCann who with Claire Wasige, is current champion at their game: ‘The best thing about today was the Princess.’
That was echoed by Councillor George Redmond, Chair of Glasgow Life, who escorted the Royal visitor through many of the exhibits: ‘In four and a half months we’ve had 945,000 visitors here, which is quite remarkable. Everyone who had played a part in this has looked forward to this day.’
Lord Provost Bob Winter as Lord Lieutenant who stands in for the Queen on occasions in Glasgow added his thanks to everyone ‘behind the scenes,’ in particular. ‘The design, building and operation of the Riverside Museum is wonderful. The project was delivered on time and within budget. The sheer dedication of the entire team is remarkable and everyone should be rightly proud of the treasure trove we possess.’
The Princess Royal, too, was clearly enthusiastic about the Museum. After unveiling a plaque to commemorate her visit, she said:’It has been a pleasure to see this place that has had rave reviews. The praise is entirely appropriate.’
On congratulating everyone concerned she added: ‘Long may the visitors continue.’

The Princess Royal also went aboard the Tall Ship Glenlee, one of only five Clyde built sailing ships of that kind afloat in the world.  Moored in front of the Museum, it has recently undergone a £1.5m refurbishment.  Said Dr Christopher Mason, who heads the Trust which runs the Tall Ship:  ’It is always good to get royal recognition for staff and volunteers – it is a great boost to everyone’s morale.  The Princess took great interest in our work and we hope she will come again.’

Panto comes down your way

A new collaboration between Glasgow Arts and Hopscotch Theatre Company will bring a fun filled pantomime to ten community venues starting from Wednesday 23 November.

Not only is the credit crunch beginning to bite, but Mother Goose  (played by Paul Kozinski) is ageing fast and has spent all the rent on wrinkle cream. When her Lucy the goosey starts to lay golden eggs it looks as if her worries are over. But the dreadful Demon King (David McGowan and Ross Stenhouse)  has his greedy eye on the Golden Goose and that spells trouble…

Scripted and directed by Ross Stenhouse, the production is a modern take on the traditional tale. It has plenty of singing, dancing, laughs, magic and audience participation. And tickets at £3 and £2 are selling fast which supports the theory that communities have a thirst for live performance.

First stop will be the Lodging House Mission in Gallowgate on 23 November with the last of the 10 shows being in Castlemilk on Saturday 17 December.

Writer, director and actor Ross Stenhouse is a founder member of Hopscotch Theatre and said: ‘Hopscotch are delighted to be performing our pantomime for Glasgow Life for the first time and are looking forward to entertaining audiences all over Glasgow. There will be fun and laughter, boos and hisses and golden eggs aplenty when that goose gets loose aboot the hoose.’

Councillor George Redmond, Chair of Glasgow Life, said; ‘I am excited at our collaboration with Hopscotch Theatre Company this Christmas, to bring all the fun of panto into the very heart of our communities across the city. Encouraging a love of the arts is a wonderful gift to give our children. That often starts with shouting at the pantomime villain and getting involved in a traditional festive show like this one.’

For more information on Mother Goose Community Pantomime  visit www.glasgowlife.org.uk/arts

Dates for the panto are: Wednesday 23 November, Lodging House Mission, G1;

Friday 25 November, Bellcraig Community Centre, G23;

Saturday 26 November, Barmulloch Community Centre, G21;

Friday 2 December, Penilee Community Centre, G52;

Saturday 3 December,The Whiteinch Centre, G14;

Thursday 8 December, Drumchapel Community Centre, G15;

Friday 9 December, Pollok Community Centre, G53;

Thursday 15 December, Shettleston Community Centre, G32,

Friday 16 December, Saint Francis Centre, G5;

Saturday 17 December, Castlemilk Community Centre, G45.

 

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