22 November 2005

Lewisham College gets beacon award

The award for College Engagement with Employers from the Department for Employment and Learning went to the Upper Bann Institute, with Fermanagh College picking up Highly Commended. The Protocol Professional Award for Art and Design was given to the Cleveland College of Art and Design. Lewisham College was another to enjoy multiple successes, winning the OCR Award for Partnerships in Basic Skills and being Highly Commended for the NEBOSH Award for Teaching Programmes in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management (won by Deeside College). The Edexcel Award for Lifelong Learning was awarded to Hull College, with Telford College of Arts and Technology Highly Commended. Full article here.

Lewisham reach e-gov top performers
For 100% of transactions with Newcastle and Birmingham City Councils, Tameside Borough Council and Surrey County Council and like paying rents and council tax, booking venues, applying for licences or complying with regulations and getting information from the council, citizens have the option of completing the transaction electronically. For 13 other councils:- Newham, Lewisham, Halton, Sheffield, Durham, Sunderland, Kingston upon Thames, Darlington, South Gloucestershire, Stockton on Tees, East Riding of Yorkshire, Greenwich and Medway the transactions enabled for electronic delivery was over 90%.

By comparison citizens in North Yorkshire had that option for only 16% of transactions when they last reported to the Audit Commission for 2003/4. The figures for those below 40% were Isle of Wight23.5%, Barnsley24.5%, Wiltshire 28%, York29% Windsorand Maidenhead 32%, Brightonand Hove33.4%, Cumbria35% and Harrow39% All other councils in the region were between 40% and 90%. Full article here.

Marchers remember Rochelle

A HUNDRED youngsters took to the streets in memory of murdered schoolgirl Rochelle Holness.

They held a peaceful march on Sunday to campaign for better protection for young people.

Following the 15-year-old's murder in September, the marchers are calling for more CCTV cameras and more foot police.

They walked from Catford town centre to Lewisham Hospital where they held a minute's silence.

Rochelle was murdered in September. Her dismembered body was found dumped in four bin bags outside Milford Towers Estate in Catford.

Her family are still waiting for the remains to be released so they can hold her funeral.

The aim of the march was to inform youngsters about the dangers, which exist within society and how to keep themselves safe.

March organiser Fiona James, who used to be Rochelle's mentor, said: "They need to be aware about what's going on in the community, and be safe.

"They enjoyed the march and felt they had done something meaningful."

Rochelle's mother Jennifer Bennett, 38, said: "It was good to know how many people there are supporting me. I really appreciate it."

Black comics honoured at Catford

Some of the most established names on the black comedy circuit have been honoured at the Black Entertainment Comedy Awards.

Koyo was named best male comedian while Gina Yashere took home best female.

Other winners included Quincy, for most improved comedian, Angie Le Mar for outstanding contribution and Tony Hendricks for best international (Caribbean) comedian.

Quincy's agent Delphine Manley said: 'This award reflects the progress Quincy has made from being a favourite on the black comedy circuit to doing weekends at London's Comedy Store.'

The lifetime achievement award went to Don Warrington, the Trinidad-born actor who achieved fame as Philip in Rising Damp, and more recently appeared in BBC One’s The Crouches.

Richard Blackwood presented the awards, that were held at the Broadway Theatre in Catford, South London.

The full list of winners is:

Best newcomer: Babatunde
Best male comedian: Kojo
Best female Ccomedan: Gina Yashere
Most improved comedian: Quincy
Outstanding contribution to production plays: Blue Mountain Theatre
Best international (Caribbean) comedian: Tony Hendriks
Best international (USA) comedian: Bill Bellamy
Special achievement to the comedy industry: Jefferson & Whitfield
Outstanding contribution to comedy: Angie Le Mar
Lifetime achievement award: Don Warrington

The awards were set up in 1999 ‘to support black UK comedians and encourage the practice of this craft through public acknowledgement’.

Meanwhile, Jamaican comedian Oliver Samuels has also been honoured with a bash at the Jamaican High Commission in London to mark his 35 years as an entertainer.

High Commissioner Gail Mathurin said: 'The name Oliver Samuels has become synonymous with Jamaica and Jamaican humour.'

Samuels now works with Bristol-based Blue Mountain Theatre, one of the winners in theBlack Entertainment Comedy Awards.


Business Telegraph recognises Lewisham job

Job title Extended services collaborative co-ordinators.

The Employer London Borough of Lewisham.

Salary range £29,718 to £32,016.

Who dreams up these weird job titles and why?

It is a fair question. Local authorities, certainly, and also other public sector organisations have developed a fetish for dreaming up obscure labels for the jobs they advertise.

Ordinary members of the public can be forgiven for suspecting this obtuseness conceals a vagueness about the job specification. That leaves us all wondering whether our society could manage quite well without them.

Why does Lewisham want extended services collaborative co-ordinators?
The idea is to extend the use of school sites for other activities, such as evening classes or sports activities.

This may involve something of a revolution in the attitudes of those already involved in running schools. Naturally such major cultural changes must have "change managers" to oil the wheels of change.

What will the extended services collaborative co-ordinators be doing?

They will not actually be running anything. So Lewisham's council tax payers will be relieved to learn they won't be around for ever.

Theirs will be fixed-term contracts expiring in March 2008 when, presumably, this cultural revolution will have been completed.

Some may think it could be completed without them even though they are expected to be adaptive and innovative and to possess good project management skills.

Still, Lewisham needs to create jobs. Latest figures indicate an unemployment rate of 14 per cent.

How does one co-ordinate collaboratively or, if you prefer, collaborate co-ordinatively?

It is a fair question, but I am not sure if anyone in Lewisham has the answer.

Common sense suggests that any form of collaboration implies a certain about of co-ordination. And indeed, the idea of co-ordination also implicitly suggests some form of collaboration, unless you are co-ordinating and collaborating with yourself and surely only people with split personalities need to do that.

Is Lewisham going to the dogs, then?

Not necessarily. But according to council officials transport links to Lewisham Town Centre have recently made "a quantum leap" as the Docklands Light Railway has been extended to Lewisham from … wait for it… the Isle of Dogs.

Nonjob suggestions to: nonjob@telegraph.co.uk