Sunday, 21 July 2013

I scream

Ice cream vanThe other day I readily paid a fiver for a couple of ice creams from a van outside a park. Summer came so late that it must have been a hard year for the vendors, and I don’t begrudge them trying to make a living while they can, and I don’t get the sense that huge profits are being creamed-off by some exploitative monopolising entrepreneur.

Plus they have to put up with playing those jingles as they drive round. Last year, after several years of the Teddy Bears’ Picnic (no thanks) we got a new and more tolerable jingle from our local vans.

I read recently – thanks to this entertaining article by Laura Barton - that the vendors are now allowed to play the jingle for longer. Defra have 'relaxed' (that should read 'changed') the regulations so that

‘chimes can play for up to 12 seconds rather than four; and once every two minutes, instead of three. Vans may also now chime while stationary.’

Whether or not the original conditions were ever policed reliably, for people who work nights in built up areas, and for others for other reasons, trying to sleep with windows necessarily open on hot afternoons or evenings, this could drive them screaming bonkers. I'm not too bothered with the argument about contributing to childhood obesity - there are other fish to fry as far as that debate is concerned - but this new regulation doesn’t sound like good news to me.

Of course we all have to remember that people who have their curtains drawn in the day-time are assumed to be "sleeping off a life on benefits" and not deemed worthy of sympathy. Must be joined-up government then.

 

21 Jul 2013 22:05:25

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The financial cost of child poverty No surprise that the topic of child poverty keeps cropping up. The Child Poverty Action Group has today published figures on the financial costs of this accelerating social crisis, noting a total cost to the UK of £29 billion per year. This figure includes: £15 billion spent on services to deal with consequences of child poverty £3.5 billion lost in tax receipts from people earning less as a result of having grown up in poverty £2 billion spent on benefits for people spending more time out of work as a result of having grown up in poverty £8.5 billion lost to individuals in net earnings (after paying tax). It’s a serious challenge that requires an urgent response. So what do we get? Instead of confronting the problem, the government, in possibly its most reckless move yet, is today reported to be ‘planning to allow outsourcing firms to bid for contracts to manage social services for vulnerable children in England – while dropping laws allowing the removal of companies that fail to do the job properly.’ This is truly scary and desperately irresponsible. No matter that the evidence is overwhelming in showing that privatisation costs more and leads to a decline in quality and values (think Serco, G4S, A4E, the railway so-called-service-providers, the utility companies…). There are reasons why we have public services, but the rationale is probably a bit too complex for people educated in public schools.
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The sing thing Some years ago I used the example of a popular tv series called Unsung town, about the formation and experience of a community choir in a low income area, as an illustration of community development. The point is echoed in the following research question, which formed the basis of a compelling recent report: Does a singing group in an area of disadvantage contribute to community and personal development in that area; and if so, how? The report is called The heroes inside: building communities in community choirs. It’s an evaluation of the ‘Vocality’ programme run by Making Music and Sound Sense, and all credit to them and their funders for setting up eight projects and taking the trouble to evaluate them properly. Here’s one, personal response to the question: “The voice is such a personal thing, and I’ve noticed that there’s something confidence building about ‘being heard’ by other people, and getting a real sense of achievement, and relying on each other. Some of them knew each other a bit before coming, but they definitely got to know each other much better. And they got better at articulating themselves, and being creative, and making decisions.” Here are some quotations that reflect the benefits: ‘it’s all about fun, expressing, enjoying’ ‘life skills, wellbeing and physical health Improvements’ ‘to come to something for a positive experience’ ‘new in that other things hadn’t quite sparked their interest’ ‘feeling a bit more secure with those around them on the street. Breaking down barriers in terms of perception of other people’ ‘respecting and honouring other cultures’ ‘made us feel visible.’ Sounds like CD to me. And here’s what the researchers conclude – note the significance of time (described in the report as 'the big problem') and diversity of CD skills: Singing groups can have a large impact on the wellbeing of participants in a relatively short space of time (though sample sizes were too small to show statistical significance), as well as deliver a range of other benefits to the participating organisations and the wider community. It is possible to create sustainable singing groups in very challenged communities, provided that sufficient time is spent in developing relationships and support from local people, and partnerships with local organisations and community workers. The qualities needed by the singing leader for such groups are diverse, embracing far more than just music al skills. Participant numbers for singing groups in challenged communities can be quite small at the outset, but this can still have a strong impact, and form the basis for a sustainable group to continue. This work can take a long time to generate momentum, and short-term project funding may not be appropriate. There is a powerful case for singing groups to be established in disadvantaged communities. Further research is needed to examine different models of delivery.

Kevin Harris

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