Girlz And Boyz Are Hair To Stay

A glamorous change has come over two retail units in Elderslie Street, Charing Cross.

Web designers David McSweeney and Gerry Maguire have found hair-raising success in meeting the needs of people who want to look their best on a girlznight or boyznight out or in.

So from supplying hair and beauty products for women and men on-line in one shop, they have now opened their own hairdressing salon next door.

The gn salon offers professional hair design and a unique experience. It complements their on-line business. Said Karen McDougall, educational Director; ‘People have high expectations today. We have high capability and we really care about people and their hair. Each person will enjoy a totally different experience from anything they’ve encountered before.’

www.girlznight.co.uk or tel: 0141 248 4555

Football Match Closes Refugee Week

One of the 20 teams which took part in the Refugee Week tournament.

Springburn beat Sighthill A team 2-1. But the result was much better than that. For this final game was the clincher in a five-a-side football tournament during Refugee Week.

The event was held at the tennis courts in Kelvingrove Park and 20 teams of school boys from 70 different nations had a great day out despite the heavy rain.

The event brought Refugee week to a close. Organised by Operation Reclaim, it was part of an initiative tackling gang violence and attacks on asylum seekers.

By bringing together local young people with their peers who are asylum seekers and refugees, the football provides opportunities for integration in a fun way. It also reclaimed the local recreation area in Sighthill for children and young people because they played there during the early part of the tournament.

The impact of the programme in the area has been ‘massive’ with police estimating that crime and fear of crime has been cut by more than one third.

FUNDS and FUN

A fundraising day at Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC) in Govanhill attracted over 100 people and raised £1,000.

The day included bowling, bouncy castles, face painting, henna, beauticians, massage, food, toys, gifts, clothes and advice on many issues.

Impact Arts provided free art workshops for adults and children.

Asma Abdalla, Acting Director of the Centre said: ‘We are really pleased with the turnout. The funds raised will be reinvested in the project. I would like to thank everybody who attended and all the people and organisations that helped out on the day.’

Amina provides culturally sensitive services, which include befriending, counselling, helpline and advocacy to women all over Scotland.

It took three months to organise the event, which was co-ordinated by Sofi Parveen and two Global Exchange Volunteers Vicky and Mima.

Amina MWRC are always looking for new volunteers. If you would like to get involved phone 0141 585 8026 or email: info@mrwc.org.uk

Volunteers’ Farewell

Eighteen enthusiastic British and Syrian young people who have given more than 6000 hours’ work to make a lasting impression on Glasgow, said farewell to the city – and they left with a taste for one of its most famous exports – Irn Bru.

A special leaving event in Trinity Church, Govanhill, was attended by all those who provided bed and board to the volunteers and by people from the projects where they had worked.

Rhoanna Law, Communications Officer for Global Exchange which runs the volunteer programme, said: ‘They enjoyed traditional Syrian fayre washed down with Irn Bru! They had a lovely time in Glasgow and the farewell evening was a chance for everyone to see what a great impact they had made in local communities.’

A ceilidh allowed the volunteers to put other skills they had learned to good use.

They are now in Syria for three months doing similar community service.

In their time in Glasgow, the volunteers painted the Central mosque, cleaned up the streets around Woodlands, planted trees in Toryglen, worked with the Govanhill Youth Project and Govan’s Luv project.

Run by the international development charity VSO and the British Council, Global Exchange aims to bring young people aged 18 to 25 together to make a useful contribution to the communities they are living in.

After completing their work in Aleppo, Syria, the volunteers will return home better able to support their own communities with the skills they have learned.

Factors to be investigated

The office of fair trading (OFT) has announced a major investment into property factoring in Scotland.

This follows evidence gathered by the Scottish consumer council during a survey of 134 homeowners in Dennistoun.

The study will consider issues such as how much choice and information is available to home owners, how property managers are selected, the quality and costs of the services and redress when things go wrong.

Heather Clayton, OFT Senior Director of infrastructure said:’ This study will take a detailed look at Scottish property management services, consider how well they are working for home owners, and take a view on any recommendation which might bring positive outcomes for consumers in Scotland.’

Sean Clerkin from the Save our Home Campaign said:’ We welcome this investigation and hope that they will take a close look at Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) too. If GHA’s property factoring division has nothing to hide then it will have nothing to fear from this investigation. We will contribute evidence to the study.’

The Campaign alleges the GHA uses bullying tactics, including the threat of court action against homeowners with whom they are in dispute. There are around 100,000 homes in Glasgow which receive services from factors for communal insurance, repairs and maintenance.

Campaign launched against budget cuts and loss of 28 jobs

Westminster MP Mohammad Sarwar has launched a campaign to save Glasgow Science Centre.

Around 28 jobs will be lost at the Southside complex because the Centre’s £1.754 million budget has been cut to £1.415m this year with more reductions planned.

Claiming the cuts amounted to 40%,  Mr Sarwar said: ‘This is a quarter of the 120 staff. The centre is a prestigious facility and very important in promoting science. We shall be challenging the Scottish Government to reconsider its plans. These cuts are contrary to the SNP’s commitment to tackling poor interest in science in our schools.’

Outside the iconic riverside building, he and a cohort of Labour MSPs, Councillors, Lib Dem supporters and Unite trade union representatives released news of their online campaign. In the following 48 hours, 22 people had signed the petition. Almost half the names were of those at the launch.

Mark Hughes, a Community Liaison Officer at the Glasgow Science Centre since 2001 and their Unite Trade Union representative said; ‘We are devastated that so many people will lose their jobs. Staff morale is very low. The Government’s review only looked at visitor numbers and has ignored the invaluable outreach work which benefits 70,000 people Scotland-wide, including some of the most remote and deprived areas.’

Glasgow Lib Dem, MNSP Robert Brown added: ‘This is a short sighted action on behalf of the Scottish Government. Publicly they claim they support the science centres and have increased funding for the four in Scotland. But they have actually decreased support from £1.7m to £1.08m, which shows their hypocrisy.’

Vital

Govan Councillor Stephen Dornan said: ‘The Science Centre is the jewel in the crown of Govan. We are really unhappy that this important and vital service could be lost.’

Kirk Ramsay, Glasgow Science Centre’s Chief Executive announced the job cuts as the Centre reached its seventh birthday. He said: ‘We will be forced to streamline our operations to safeguard our core mission of education.’ But as funding is set to dip even further over a three-year period, it is likely further changes will have to be made. ‘This is a very sad day for Glasgow and for the talented staff who have worked tirelessly to promote science and who now face an uncertain future,’ he said.