Tesco's is useless: nothing at cheapo prices.
I go to Sainsbury's. Now I'm hunting out Basics. It's central London and everything costs more than CAP prices. Backwards and forwards, up and down. Start with bread (37p); pick up jam - put down jam; pick up eggs - eggs go when I see the price of pasta - two sorts, 38p, with pasta sauce (26p); beans are 20p; spaghetti - you have to ring the changes - 23p; spread (hope I can cook with that) 26p; shocked to find UHT milk comes in at 49p; splash out on fruit and fibre - 65p; 80 tea bags are only 31p. What's gone? Coffee; sugar (cheapest 40p - am I allowed to pinch some from the coffee stall?); Fruit - when did the price of apples go through the roof? Veg - budget won't run to potatoes, or anything green. Total spent: £3.11 - 61p over budget and missing some basics. Still, I won't starve, though I may get constipated and spotty. The thought hits me and leaves me with a kind of wonder. I've just been to Sainsbury's and shopped for - can it really be less than 10% of what I might spend normally? And I won't starve. At this stage there's a real joy in getting down to basics. Wonder how long that will last. Savour a cup of coffee, and two tangerines. Yes, savour...

Editor’s Note:   I came across a batch of these photographs and accompanying quotations. The above item is the fourth of the collection. I intend to publish each of the remainder every month. Ed

Connexions Cornwall & Devon provides independent impartial information, advice and guidance for all 13 – 19 year olds.
Its purpose is to help engage all young people in learning and work. All young people have access to a Connexions Personal Adviser whether that is through school or colleges, Connexions centres or in youth and community groups.
They provide information, advice and guidance about careers, education courses, training and jobs, and otheissues facing young people e.g. health, benefits, housing, relationships.
Connexions brings together other agencies and voluntary groups to plan coherent access to integrated services for young people. Connexions Cornwall & Devon, Ltd. is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees, and stakeholders to share this commitment.

Dear All,

South Asian Society (SAaS) publishesCelebration magazine every year and it is released on the occasion of annual Diwali-Ed celebrations programme. This year, the programme is taking place on Saturday, 1^st November 2008 at Guildhall, Plymouth. Articles are invited from SAaS members, its supporters and well-wishers. The range of applicable topics for the article includes:

• South Asian culture, art, food, traditions, economics, health, science, socio-economic conditions and history;
• Medical / health issues of wider interests, traditional and complementary medicines (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga, etc.);
• Any articles on behalf of the organisations and institutions are also accepted provided they conform the broader aims of the society;
• Broader religious messages promoting social harmony, peace, inter-faith dialogue and non-violence in the society will be considered;
• Different sports and sports-related issues;
• Artwork and photographs reflecting South Asian culture;
• Topics of innovative thoughts/ideas are widely welcomed.

Guidelines to Authors: The following guidelines should help to prepare the articles:

• The articles should not be more than 1,000 words.
• The authors should ensure the integrity of their articles.
• The authors should try to avoid short paragraphs of only a few sentences.
• The articles should be typed in double space with Arial font 12 pt size. The article should accompanied by a high quality digital photograph of the author (to be published with the article).
• The article should be submitted to the Editorial board (email address: editorial@southasiansociety.co.uk) by 7^th September 2008.
• Submission of an article does not mean that it will be accepted. The publication will depend on the quality and availability of space. The editorial board reserve the right to accept, reject or modify the articles (for conformity).
• Articles can be submitted by e-mail any time between 7 July and 29 August 2008.

Potential authors and contributors are welcome to discuss the theme of their articles, if in any doubts. For reference, previous issues of Celebration are available on our website. (www.southasiansociety.co.uk ). If you have any points that need further clarification, please contact the Editorial board.

Lunch is at 1 p.m. and English Classes are at 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday in the Stoke Damerel Parish Centre, Paradise Road (entrance behind the Stoke Damerel Church).
For further information please contact: Marlene Schuster on (01752)567420 or email her on marlene_schuster@hotmail.com.

The Government's plans, set out in 'Enforcing the Deal' published 19^th June 2008, outlines the plan to “introduce automatic deportation for serious offenders, over 1,000 extra immigration staff focused on enforcement duties, action against employers who break the law and new partnerships with local authorities and enforcement agencies to shut down the privileges of the UK to those breaking the rules.” Each local team will enforce the full range of immigration laws, concentrating on intelligence gathering, the disruption of illegal activity, tracking down and detaining immigration offenders and failed asylum seekers, and tackling illegal working.

Since its inception, more than 45,000 people have been referred for help. In 2007, the four centres received nearly 2,000 new requests for help. Clients came from almost 100 countries, with significant numbers from Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Iran.

The main treatment centre is in London, with branches in Manchester covering the North West, Newcastle covering the North East and Glasgow covering the whole of Scotland. Two more centres are planned for the West Newcastle covering the North East and Glasgow covering Midlands and Yorkshire & Humberside.
The MF offers medical consultation, examination and forensic documentation of injuries, psychological treatment and support, and practical help. Central to the MF's vision are its efforts to educate the public and decision makers about torture and its consequences, while advocacy work strives to ensure that the UK honours its international obligations towards survivors of torture, asylum seekers and refugees.

The four centres employ some 200 paid and voluntary staff, comprising full and part time members including doctors, caseworkers, counsellors, legal advisors, physiotherapists, psychotherapists, psychologists, interpreters, child and family therapists and group workers.

Impartiality is paramount in enabling the MF to advocate for the rights of torture survivors and our clients. We therefore remain independent of the Government by not accepting funding from them for our work. The only exception is funding we receive from the Department of Health which is put solely towards the production of guidelines for assessing torture survivors and to train health professionals. Donations from individuals continue to provide the core income for our work. In 2007, they contributed £5,719,897 towards a total income of £8,189,435.

Editorial Comment. Although this organisation has offices in London and the North, I have already asked for further details. Ed. However, for further information go to: www.torturecare.org.uk

Some One World Facts:

•    Founded 30 years ago.
•    It is a member of Development Education Association and the
      Trade Justice Movement.
•    Usually held around 24^th October (United Nations Day).

Millions of people around the world still do not enjoy that most fundamental right – the right to survive. Yet 2008 is the 60^th Anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which aspires to:

“….a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want”

One World Week Are Working Towards:

•     Growing together – locally...
By bringing together people of diverse cultures, of many faiths and none, to grow together in mutual understanding of shared values and commitment to each other’s human rights locally and globally, and

•     Growing together – glocally...
By learning more about how our local actions and personal lifestyles can affect the rights to a livelihood of members of our human family across the world, and what we can do to help.

“Sharing this fragile planet our rights are inextricably linked to those of our fellow human beings. However far away the event may be, if another human being anywhere is denied their fundamental rights that impoverishes the world I inhabit.” -- Milind Kolhatkar, Chair of One World Week, April 2008

Hundreds of Iraqi workers promised safe haven after working with British troops could face militia death squads.
Those taken on as interpreters, cleaners or drivers have been told they cannot apply for asylum until they have stopped working with British forces.
The Home Office insists they be vetted, causing months of delays that could condemn them to death.
The move comes after Gordon Brown lifted an initial ban on giving Iraqis safe haven after news emerged they were being slaughtered.
So far up to 60 Iraqi collaborators have been killed in revenge, and just a handful have been given asylum – in squalid Glasgow housing estates. Up to 1,200 want safe haven after being tainted for working with British troops in southern Iraq but Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is demanding checks which could take months.
One interpreter who has patrolled with British troops for four years expressed his fears he will be left behind and killed. He said: ‘Time is running out.’
A senior military source said: ‘The Army desperately wants to honour our commitment to these brave people. They stood by us and many lost their lives. There is a real anger at barriers being put up by the Home Office.’ The Home Office declined to comment.

•    How to find the right course
•    How to book a course
•    General information
•    Payment
•    Material cost
•    Course refunds

There will be an Open Day at Drake Circus from Monday, 1^st to Sunday, 7^th September. Alternatively, contact:
(01752)660713 or www.plymouthoncourse.com

It will be the 11^th RESPECT Festival this year, now running as a two-day event, which last year attracted over 20,000 spectators! Now more than ever it is important to celebrate Plymouth’s diversity, and there is no event this far south that gives us the opportunity to experience the up-side of multi-culturalism and to explore different cultures. For those of you who may want to have a stall, sell or inform the general public, then log on to the website: www.plymouthrespectfestival.co.uk where you can book a place.

Living Memory Lab is a project offering the people of Plymouth to make a film about slavery and abolition of the slave trade. A free four day course is available providing filming and editing skills for members of the public. No experience is necessary, but a basic computer knowledge is helpful. At the end of the course, participants will produce a three-minute mini movie. One hundred short films will be made by December 2008, then compiled into a DVD for use by the community.

The second phase, now almost complete, was to transfer section 4 service users in London to accommodation in the regions unless they could show that they had a genuine need to remain in London as defined in policy bulletin 31. This transition is expected to be completed by the end of June 2008 and The Transition Team will be disbanding from the 30th June 2008. The s4 Transition mail box and the transition helpline will also close from that date.
Around c400 service users were transitioned to the regions and a further c400 failed to travel. The service users who failed to travel will all have been issued with a failure to travel letter and the majority of these service users have been evicted from their accommodation in London. The provision of continued support was dependant upon them moving to, and residing in, the new accommodation offered to them in the regions. Should these service users wish to take up the offer of support in the future then the CRD Distribution Hub (formally the Accommodation Booking Team) will deal with these cases.

Karen Pearce: (01752) 314411
Helen Hughs: (01752) 314369

Section 4 support is not accessible to the vast majority of refused asylum seekers. This is mainly due to the narrowness of its criteria and the fact that it fails to take into account the various problems asylum seekers face when they come to the end of the asylum process in the UK.
UKBA is refusing to acknowledge the barriers many undocumented asylum seekers face when trying to leave the UK. UKBA’s narrow criterion places an unrealistic demand on failed asylum seekers to prove they are taking all reasonable steps to return. This prevents many people from accessing the support they are entitled and causes many thousands of refused asylum seekers to be made destitute.

There are significant pressures that are placed on individuals to prove an ongoing entitlement. As there is no realistic understanding of what constitutes ‘taking all reasonable steps to leave the UK’, individuals are often subjected to a ‘one size fits all’ approach by UKBA.

Thursday, 25^th September

DCRSC Women’s Develop Group Session
(see separate article)

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Monday, 29^th September

Hindu
Navaratri (start)
Navaratri (nine nights) symbolises the triumph of good over evil and marks the start of autumn.

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Tuesday, 30^th September

DCRSC Volunteers’ Meeting to include a Training Session
(see separate article)

Jewish
Rosh Hashanah
Jewish New Year

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Wednesday, 1^st October

DCRSC Board of Trustees' Meeting
(see separate article)

Muslim
Eid-Ul-Fitr
The end of Ramadan when Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and thank Allah for His help with their month-long act of self-control.

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Thursday, 2^th October

DCRSC Women’s Develop Group Session
(see separate article)

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Thursday, 9^th October

Jewish
Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement - the most solemn day of the Jewish year.

Hindu
Dussera
Celebrates Lord Rama's victory over the evil demon Ravana.

Sikh
Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Nanakshahi calendar)
Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) was the fourth of the Sikh Gurus.

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Monday, 13^th October

Christian
St Edward's Day
Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066.

He built Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him - and where the saint is also celebrated on 5^th January each year, the anniversary of his death.