MORE SUGAR? No thanks, I’m sweet enough

On two evenings this week my dinner has consisted of..... not one, but two bars of chocolate, at 195 calories, and with 21.4g of sugar in each. That was my choice, a conscious one, as having left home at 7.30am, with little hope of returning until bedtime, I was on the run and needed a quick ‘fix’ between meetings. I confess to having second thoughts on finding that this is the equivalent of 5 teaspoons of sugar per bar, as I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth. As yet another survey reveals that now it is not fat or salt that is the arch enemy, but sugar, I am left wondering where all the fun in life has gone, as I sit at home polishing off the last of my Christmas goodies.

We’ve all got to die of something, and as with all things, a ‘little of what you fancy does you good’, but everything should be taken in moderation. It is the excesses we indulge in, often at a time of stress, that send us over the top.

I had always thought that after years of having sugar in my tea I would find it impossible to give up, but i found that it took a mere five days, and now several years on, I can’t bear even a sniff of sugar in my tea. Living alone, I doubt if I buy more than one bag of a sugar per year, unless I get into a rare baking frenzy, or am cooking puds for friends. The real problem, however, is the hidden sugar in many of the processed foods we are choosing to buy, largely as a result of our hectic lifestyles. In addition to this, thanks to the demise of domestic science classes in schools, there is a lack of skill when it comes to preparing a meal at home for all the family. Staples such as breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar, as are fizzy drinks, and also flavoured juice drinks. Not such a good start to the day then. Sugar is also present in everyday food stuffs, where you might not expect to find it, such as bread. It is this hidden element that is most worrying, where the big manufacturers heighten flavours by the addition of sugar, or worse still, chemical sugar substitutes.

The worst offenders though are the ‘low fat’ ready meals offered by supermarkets, where mistakenly, dieters, in a rush to kick start their weight loss campaigns and shake off the results of Christmas indulgence, think of such meals as the ideal solution to an expanding waistline. I’ve never been a fan of labelling or traffic lighting foods, but at least if I am going to decide to eat chocolate or a yummy iced bun, I know what I’m letting myself in for, and if I end up fatter and less healthy than I’d like, then at least I am doing it the full knowledge of the consequences of my actions.

WADHAM STUDENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS

I really must stop crying in public. It is not becoming for a woman of my age.  I just can’t help it. Every time I attend Wadham’s annual awards celebration the list of achievements and accolades showered on its pupils just brings tears to my eyes.

Last year I was honoured to be the guest speaker, whilst this year I could just sit, in not too much comfort, and bask in the reflected glory of others.

In his introduction to this year’s presentation evening ceremony, head teacher, David Derbyshire recalled some of the great achievements pupils at the school, with the support of their teachers of course, had attained during the last year. For 2013 ‘A’ level results an impressive 48% of students had gained an A* or A grade, whilst for GCSE exams 68% achieved 5 or more with grades of C or above. This was a full 9% above the national average, and the highest performance in the County. Mr. Derbyshire also stressed the importance of the community partners that enable the school to continue to improve year on year, concluding that, ‘At Wadham we constantly explore new ways to improve the ability of our students to achieve their potential, empowering them to take their place in a rapidly changing world.’

His emphasis on team work was reiterated by guest speaker Michael Ive OBE, a senior government advisor and educational consultant at national level for Design and Technology. During his speech he emphasised the need to encourage rather than criticise, and for youngsters to discover their talent or interest, and just ‘go for it’. He maintained that persistence and practice was the key to success, citing Dyson as an example, and explaining the current importance of technology and design in understanding the ‘made’ world. None of us could fail to be impressed by the ‘Stairsteady’ handrail designed and developed by 16 year old Ruth Amos, to assist her grandmother in getting up and down stairs, and which has now gone into production and is available across the country.

He concluded his speech by reminding us all not to live our lives by someone else’s dream.

In addition to awards for progress and attainment, parents and other guests were treated to some fine performances by Charlotte Kingston, who sang ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, and ‘Here I am’, sung by Sammii Tyali, accompanied by Isobel and Harriet Hoskyns, concluding with ‘Clown’ performed by Baaba Bentil-Tumi.

All in all, yet another example of just what local students can achieve with the right leadership and motivation.

Consultation - not worth the paper it's written on

For some time now amongst many organisations ‘consultation’ has been the buzz word. It seems that no decision can be taken without being seen to consult with the local population.

Given the poor response rates to most consultations, around 3% in many cases, I am of the opinion that the process is largely a complete waste of time and money.

Those that respond to consultation documents are by their very nature a self-selecting group, a bit like voters really. People that are happy with the status quo are not much bothered by the outcome. In my early days as a District Councillor, wanting to do well, I spent endless Saturday mornings ensconced in freezing village halls, holding my ‘surgery’ only to find that no-one turned up, or if they did, it would be within the last five minutes. I quickly learnt that if there is trouble brewing they’ll find me quickly enough, and that’s as it should be, being there when I’m needed.

In selecting those who make decisions on our behalf we should have sufficient faith in their integrity and objectivity to have confidence that they will make the best choices. That if the decision is not what we would want, then at least we feel our opinions have been heard and we understand the reasons for the decision. Isn’t that what our representatives  are there for? Do parents consult on every decision they make within a family?

We are in severe danger of over consulting when those who do not get the outcome they want the first time around call for yet more consultation. I know someone who has very specific views, and who asks as many people as it takes to find someone to agree with them, to validate their own fixed and intransigent opinions.

In the rush to promote ‘localism’ we are now inundated by surveys and consultation documents on everything from waste disposal to education. Often the forms are poorly prepared, ask leading questions, and take too long for respondents to complete. In addition, there is the increasing trend for these to only be available online, precluding many from having access. Call me a cynic, but I often feel that despite assurances to the contrary, those wanting to engage us in the consultation process have an end game in mind. To the practised eye this is evident by the choice of questions asked, and the phrasing of them; a bit like saying to a child ‘Would you rather have an apple or a bar of chocolate?’ No contest. Or, ‘You can have an apple or a bar of chocolate. If you have the apple you will grow up fit and healthy and won’t have to go to the dentist. If you have the chocolate, you will grow up fat, and all your teeth will fall out. Which would you rather have?’ The same basic question, but with a different slant.

We do of course always want our own way, and in order to get it we will often use the same evidence, with the odd omission maybe, to skew the outcome. It’s human nature to do so, but we need to be especially careful when those representing us need to remain as objective as possible, and be seen to be so.  

SUICIDE RISK FOR NEETS

The new year is always a good time for publishing survey results, and naturally there is no news that makes the headlines like bad news.

The fact that NEETS, those neither in education, employment or training, feel that their lives are not worth living, is not news, it’s history, and sadly something that continues to repeat itself.

Back in 2011, The Daily Mail, the dubious voice of middle England, stated  ‘We risk creating a generation without hope'.

It is little wonder that so many feel that way, when the gap between expectation and realisation becomes increasingly wider.

Many of those now reaching adulthood are the products of the ‘me’ generation, when we were led to believe we could have anything we wanted, that anything was possible, regardless of the consequences.

This generation are now reaping the results, and I would suggest it is the breakdown of family, in whatever form, that has been a significant factor in creating the current feelings of angst. Few of us are fortunate enough to sail through life without trauma and disaster of some kind, be it failing an important exam, money or relationship problems, health or work issues. Life is hard, and to bring up children believing otherwise is to do them a disservice.

It is however the support mechanism that is in place when the poo hits the fan that can make all the difference to the outcomes. I say this from the voice of experience, having been homeless, penniless, without work, coping with suicide, divorce, illness and more. There have been times when, without the support of friends, who to all intents and purposes became my family, I may well have buckled under the pressure.

What is important is that, before it reaches the point of no return, to believe there is still hope. That, to use a well worn cliche, there is light at the end of the tunnel, that things will get better. Once all hope is gone it is so much harder to pull back from the brink. I know from my work with Samaritans, and support of such organisations as Shelter, who provide a vital service to those in need in times of distress, that it is the feeling of having no-one to turn to in your hour of need, it can be impossible to see a way out. We all have our own coping mechanisms; there is no one size that fits all, but for those of us who are more fortunate it is incumbent upon us, in a civilised society, to recognise and try to understand the failings of others, to reach out, without being patronising, providing the support they need, not what we might want to offer. It is natural that when times are hard, as we have been experiencing in the UK in recent years, that we become insular, thinking only of ourselves and our own problems. I’m saddened when I hear people say such things as  ‘I don’t see why I should support that organisation or charity, because it’s not local…’. Yes, charity should begin at home, but when we can all wake up every day and say ‘I have a roof over my head, I am in good health, I have a job to go to, enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and I’m not being abused…..’ surely then we can find the time and energy to support someone else in crisis? That’s my new year resolution. There can surely be no better thing to give someone than hope.

Gilbert Ballieul - deceased 25 Dec. 2013 - Mon petit chou

Protectng the vulnerable in our society

Sadly, it came as no surprise to me to see front page headlines, once again, about the abuse of care workers in relation to the finances of those in their care. Unfortunately cases like those cited, whilst far from being the norm, are all too common. I well remember from my own brief time at MENCAP, staff buying ingredients to suit their own needs when taking college residents shopping for food to cook meals in their supported living accommodation.  I also recall an incident of a care worker buying clothes for themselves on a shopping trip, with the resident's own money. On a more regular basis, when carers are charged with accompanying those in their care on outings, to the local pub for example, it is not uncommon for the location to be of the carers' choice, and to see those residents with learning difficulties huddled in a corner, whilst the 'carers' are all having a jolly good time together. On a personal note, I was asked last year to support a young adult with learning difficulties, where concerns had been raised over finances. On digging deeper found that I myself was then put under investigation for Safeguarding issues, and was eventually told that if the person concerned chose to give their money away that was their entitlement. That's all very well, but where was the concern over possible coercion and bullying? Those with learning difficulties are amongst the most vulnerable in our society, and we must all be vigilant in protecting them, not just from those who care for them, but also in some cases, relatives who wish to take advantage. I would like to reiterate however, that there are many care workers and relatives of those with long term disabilities who offer support day in, day out, with the utmost care and consideration, providing a necessary lifeline, often in the most difficult circumstances, and with very little reward. They deserve our admiration, and we should be careful not to tar them all with the same brush.  

Heston's Healthy NHS Food - nonsense

It is no wonder that with the constant desire for us all to live longer that we are now in the situation where our ageing population, kept alive at any cost it would seem, are not responding to the vile pap served up in most hospitals, on plastic trays, as if they were transient passengers on an airline. Personally, although not quite ready to meet my maker, I'd much rather die while I'm still capable of knowing what day of the week it is, with a glass of bubbly in hand, and my favourite calorific snack as my last meal. Heston of course likes to get his hand into anything but, like Jamie before him, we must be careful that this is not just another headline grabbing stunt. I see that he is advocating the use of food enhancing flavours, known as 'umami', the fifth basic taste, by the addition of such popular flavourings as soy sauce, worcester sauce and ketchup. This would have been fine to my mind, were it not for the attention grabbing headline, that this would mean less salt is added. Both he, and those singing the virtues of this latest idea, seem to be missing the point entirely, as all of these extra ingredients are packed full of salt. We are all, in the end, going to die of something, but I for one would at least  like to have enjoyed my last meal. After all, prisoners on death row get to do so.