Jamie Lee Clarke, 20, Faymore Gardens, South Ockendon was accused of taking away and driving the car without the owners consent from Wallace Road, Grays on the 21st January.

Clarke, known as G.Dot among the rapping community, was granted unconditional bail at Basildon magistrates court.

He will re-appear on the 28th March.

“A shrill scream echoes through the hallway, a white sheet of paper tattooed with an answer is held firmly in their hand. Around Thurrock, hundreds of other screams are uttered, hundreds of other sheets of paper are posted through letterboxes – the object of every hopeful college student’s desire: “Dear … We are delighted/regret to inform you that your application to the University of … has been successful/unsuccessful.”

There is no question about what will be going on behind the tiny porches of Thurrock over the next few months; the question that I am most curious about is what university will our brightest be enrolling to, if in fact they will be enrolling at any at all?

YourThurrock has challenged local colleges and schools recently with shocking statistics, all of which have been subject to an onslaught of defence. But the real question we at YourThurrock are asking is one of sheer simplicity: are you happy with the six percent, yes or no? No long-winded, embellished response, just the raw statistic as it sits on the paper.

Over recent weeks, there has been lively debate as to what defines a good university, with many blaming local politicians for revealing the quandary and some blaming local colleges and students for massaging these figures. The Completely University Guide factors in the following key components essential for Higher Education: entry standard, student satisfaction, research assessment and graduate prospects. The elitist Cambridge holds its academic reign and London South Bank falls to the bottom, with the Russell Group universities lingering around the upper regions of the league table. So to silence any retort, the “good” universities in the UK are diligently determined through meticulous methodology, which is improved upon year on year.

The catalyst for this dispute is indeed whether “good” universities reflect the educational standards for the borough, so let’s do a little compare and contrast: the entry standard to study English at the University of Cambridge is A*AA. The entry standard to study English at the London South Bank University is CCC. Therefore, someone who gets into the University of Cambridge, gaining top marks in all three A Level exams, in theory, should be more widely celebrated than someone who enrols into the lowest ranked university in the country, otherwise there becomes an iniquitous belief that an A* is as good as a C. The defence is the generic “they don’t do the courses I wish to study” – Russell Group universities offer variety and combinations envied by other, less prestigious universities due to the endowments given to these institutions for research and facility improvements.

For many headteachers, they have been forced to face the reality of falling university applicants and has become somewhat of an elephant in the room. Is it really lack of motivation on the students’ part or are our educational standards slipping on an already slippery slope, for most of which I blame Labour. At the end of a degree, every graduate yearns to be employed, particularly at a company proportional to their studies, and the “good” universities have the highest graduate prospects, which is why we should be pushing our students to the maximum, towards the best universities in the country, to one day see those very students powering our economy, government, education system, scientific breakthroughs, award winning literature and aspiring leadership. Why should we settle for an average university when we can push students to go onto the best ones? Every student has the potential and every student has the environment to exercise that potential, so why? Why isn’t that six percent of students attending “good” universities in Thurrock, sixty? I asked forty first and second year students at Palmer’s Sixth Form College what two universities they planned on attending. In bold are Russell Group universities, of which there are twenty.

Note that some knew one university they wished to attend but not the other, so therefore chose one from the following list, and then uncertainty.

East Anglia 2
Greenwich 4
Oxford 2
Goldsmiths 1
Queen Mary 3
Southampton 4
Brighton 6
Essex 6
No University 11
Open University 1
Cambridge 2
Unsure 6
Birmingham 2
Edinburgh 1
Bournemouth 3
Leicester 1
Anglia Ruskin 2
Kent 3
City London 2
Bangor 1
King’s College, London 2
Bath 2
London School of Economics and Political Science 1
Royal Holloway 1
Canterbury 1

As presented in the data, only fourteen out of forty are placing their hopes on a Russell Group university, which converts to only thirty five percent With over a thousand students at Palmer’s, the data is only a small population of the college; therefore the percent will undoubtedly go down as the quantity of students increase. Only four set their sights on the coveted Oxbridge – a meagre ten percent of all asked.

At twenty, the highest was no university with second as local university Essex, uncertainty and Brighton, and joint third being Greenwich and Southampton. Emma Gardiner, English Lecturer at Palmer’s, offered her wisdom as to why these universities were most popular: “…Over the past few years I’ve found that a lot of students here apply for universities based on location. University of Essex, East Anglia or the London universities are often first choices for students simply because they would prefer to live at home and commute. For those students who prefer to stay at university, the two universities in Canterbury are always very popular as students can stay there, but they can still get home in an hour or so if they want to.”

This paints us a shocking picture: do our students really value convenience over educational experiences? Has a complacency culture grown among us?

After speaking to some students, I’ve come to know the five considerations that ultimately decide the university of choice: location; tuition fees; courses available; prestige of university and its relevance to their career prospects, particularly those who choose no university. My choices are Oxford University and King’s College, ranked number two and sixteen respectively out of the one hundred and sixteen universities in the UK. To study English, my choices rank in two and twenty two respectively, both highly regarded universities in academic circles. My decision behind Oxford covers courses available, prestige of university and its relevance to my career prospects, as does King’s College. Sheer ambition has neglected the tuition fees and location: where there’s a will, there is a way. Though challenging, it prepares us for the real world, where you cannot rely on what is merely expected of you, but where you can rely on the prevailing of diligence, persistence and excellence.

My quest for answers has led me to solid conclusion. There is of course only one real way to find out: come back and read my blog in five years time and I promise to tell you all about it… ]]> http://www.yourthurrock.com/2012/02/04/abbies-blog-palmers-and-the-6-the-debate-continues/feed/ 0 http://www.yourthurrock.com/2012/02/04/housefire-at-davis-road-aveley/ http://www.yourthurrock.com/2012/02/04/housefire-at-davis-road-aveley/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:05:13 +0000 michael casey http://www.yourthurrock.com/?p=33106 FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire in a end of terrace house in Davis Road, Aveley.

The officer in charge reported that the first floor of the house was completely smoke logged.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were using one hose reel jet to tackle the fire.

Update:The fire was fully extinguished by 21:45hrs. Firefighters used one hose reel jet and wore breathing apparatus.

Blue Square Bet South

Thurrock v Farnborough

The Fleet will want to bounce back from being hit for six by Dartford last week.

Ryman Premier

Horsham v Aveley

Bottom of the table clash for the struggling Aveley. Boss Lee Hodges quit on Wednesday.

East Thurrock Utd v Bury Town

Two defeats in a row but the Rocks put in their best performance of the season on Tuesday so they will be keen to build on that.

Ryman Div One North

Potters Bar v Grays Athletic

Grays are completely out of sorts whilst Potters Bar are on of three teams who are moving up the league.

Tilbury v Soham Town Rangers

Fortress Chadfields is what is keeping the Dockers in the play off fight.

Sarah Smallbone is raising funds for St Thomas’s Lupus Trust at St Thomas’s hospital in London .

You can have a maximum of eight people in your team and its £3  per person.

There will also be a raffle and there’s also a great prize for the winning quiz team.

Invitation to Park Inn by Radisson Thurrock North Stifford, Grays, Essex, RM16 5UE Tuesday 7th February 2012 8.30am – 10.30am

HELPING THURROCK BUSINESSES TO APPRECIATE THE BENEFITS OF RECRUITING AN APPRENTICE

Target Audiences:

All businesses who are interested in developing their workforce through apprenticeships

Aim of the event:

To enable local businesses to gain an insight and understanding of the apprenticeship programme and to appreciate how it can benefit their company in developing their workforce for the future.

Programme:
8.30am-10.30am:

Welcome & Registration (Refreshments provided) Informal networking opportunity

A presentation from the National Apprenticeship Service and training providers will take place to explain the recruitment and training process.

Informal networking opportunity to talk with Thurrock businesses who have already recruited apprentices along with meeting training providers who can discuss the specific training needs for your company.

Information on a number of financial grants that may be available to part fund the salary of an apprentice.

To book your FREE place, please email your contact details to: jellery@thurrock.gov.uk or call Joanne Ellery on 01375 413651

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment

“Life can be extremely hard for someone with a mental health condition. You can’t see a mental health problem and there is no cast or plaster to stick on a mentally unwell mind. If you’re lucky, there may be medication to help alleviate the symptoms of the condition and talking therapies to help you cope emotionally but there is nothing to alleviate the effects of the stigma, the prejudice and the discrimination suffered by the mentally unwell individual.

This discrimination is no greater felt than when one tries to apply for Disability Living Allowance. If one has a physical limitation, the process is easier as the people who perform the medical, if one gets that far, have a visual cue or something measurable to test regarding the suitability for work and the ability to perform everyday functions. Not so for the mentally unwell. How can one prove that one’s mental health issue stops them from engaging in everyday life? It’s not as easy as you may think, especially if you have a cyclical condition such as Bipolar Disorder or Adjustment Disorder, which may leave you with whole periods of time when you can function ‘normally’ and others which leave you in ‘crisis mode’. If one is in a ‘good’ period when one is called for the medical, the individual has no way of proving their disability and the chances of being refused the benefit they need.

There is also the problem of the very name of the benefit. I suffer with Recurrent Depressive Disorder and Adjustment Disorder (Depressive-type) but don’t consider myself to be disabled, although, by the Government’s criteria, I am. So, from the outset, the mentally unwell may believe that they are not entitled to DLA; in fact, that was my belief before someone told me that I was, indeed, entitled to the benefit. I am, at times, able to cope with the voluntary work I do but, at others, I would rather stay buried in my quilt, unable to find the strength to face being around other people or handle the stress of paid employment.

The problem then becomes – how does one prove one’s disability when you cannot see it and it is difficult to explain to someone without one’s condition how it affects one’s life without some common frame of reference? And how does that translate into what will actually fit into the criteria on the gargantuan form one has to fill in?

The difficulty with the DLA form is that one is encouraged to put one’s case in terms of the ‘worst case scenario’, how one is at one’s very worst. This is not conducive to good mental health as mental health services encourage one to look to one’s strengths as a means of building self-esteem and mental well-being. The form, however, has to be filled in and it can completely demoralise a mentally unwell person. The worst, however, is to come. The interminable waiting for the decision from whichever unqualified bureaucrat has been given the power over one.

The waiting, however long, eventually comes to an end in one of two ways – the joy of acceptance or the agony of rejection. And if the answer is rejection, the thoughts rush through one’s mind – Did I not ‘sell’ my problems strongly enough? Am I really not unwell enough? Why did I put myself through all this emotional pain for nothing? – and down one goes into the dark pit of depression and self-loathing.

A decision then has to be made by the rejected claimant – should I appeal? In such a dark place, it takes someone with incredible strength of will or someone who is in blind desperation to go through the appeals process and risk another rejection. If one is lucky, one will find help available to assist them through the appeal process but that help is not necessarily easy to find and the quality of help not necessarily good if you find it.

I can write about this from personal experience as I am one of the people whose claim for DLA was rejected and as someone who is currently awaiting a decision on my appeal and I can say that, as hard as the initial DLA form completion was for my mental health, the letter I had to write asking for an appeal was worse as I had to go into minute detail, going further than I wanted to or dared I should ever have to go, to try to impress upon the bureaucrat, upon whose decision my future hangs, my need and the reasons for it. I had to drag out my suicidal ideations and suicide attempts, my anxiety attacks around groups of people, my personal circumstances upon which my mental health stands on a knife-edge and every single horrifying thought in my head. And I’m still not sure if I’ll get the Disability Living Allowance that, according to the Government’s criteria under the Disability Discrimination Act, I’m entitled to.

The most horrific thing is, I have been told, although this may not actually be true or not actual policy, that most DLA claimants who cite mental health issues as their reason for claiming may be being automatically rejected when they put in their first claim. The reason I was given was that, in this age of austerity, rejecting the initial claims of mentally unwell claimants, thereby dissuading some to appeal, is a good way of making cuts in the benefit bill. How disgusting, how discriminatory!

People with mental health problems are not all simply ‘spongers’, some of us have real needs and would rather work if we could but how many employers would actually want to employ someone who, due to their condition, may not be as reliable as someone less qualified but without a mental health issue? Some of us contribute to society in other ways, such as voluntary work, which is every bit as valuable as the work undertaken by those without our disability. We are not just after hand outs; we are after fair treatment and recognition that our needs are just as valid as those of the physically impaired. All we want is a helping hand so we can get back on our feet and can contribute in whatever way we can.
Until next time…

If you would like to comment on any of my columns, please send them to valen1971@hotmail.co.uk or you can check out my personal blogs at http://valen1971.webs.com/ or http://valen1971.blogspot.com. You can also find me on Twitter (@valen1971).

Goldsmith is already a shareholder in the Swiss company and has shown interest in snapping up refineries in Cressier in the canton of Neuchâtel, as well as in Britain, Belgium, Germany and France reports World Radio Switzerand.

The company said it thinks the refineries are interesting and still sustainable despite market turbulence.

The refineries have seen a number of serious possible buyers with more than 40 for the lucrative British site and 10 or so for the Swiss site.

Petroplus was forced to shutter sites after lenders froze a one-billion-dollar credit line in the face of sluggish sales and demand.

Albert Jackson, 61, Purfleet Road, Aveley and Thomas Skinner, 20, Main Road, Romford did not enter a plea at Basildon magistrates court.

Jackson was charged with dishonestly handling 9552 individual tubes of Bodyshop cleansing gel to the value of £76,000 on the 28th June last year at Capital UK Self Storage in Arisdale Avenue, Grays.

He was also charged with dishonestly handling 171 pairs of of Sketches footwear to the value of £8,000.

Skinner was charged with dishonestly handling 4992 individual tubes of Bodyshop cleansing gel to the value of £39936.00 on the 28th June last year in Grays.

Skinner was also charged with possession of 2,000 diazepam tablets.

They were both bailed to reappear on March 28th.

The work will see the car park split into two zones: one for staff only and one for the public. The public car park will be directly accessed from the main road, which will be located close to the CTC building. Hospital staff will not be able to use the public car park.

It is expected there will be some disruption for at least three weeks while the newly formed kerbs, fencing and barriers are installed but measures are in place to minimise disruption.

Jenny Galpin, Director of Estates & Facilities, said: “The improvements will help ensure a number of spaces are set aside for visitors going to buildings such as the CTC and the Day Unit and make parking simpler for staff. There will be some disruption during this period although this is expected to be limited and only for a few weeks. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause and ask people to bear with us while this work takes place.”

The charges relate to a factory with 492 plants discovered on the 7th November last year.

Marc Bryan (28), Crown Road, Clacton, entered no plea at Basildon magistrates court.

Bryan was also charged with the dishonest use of electricity to the value of £1408.

The case was adjourned until 14th March.

Bryan was released on unconditonal bail.