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General News
MoD: Some 250 members of the British Armed Forces have recently taken part in an International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. The IMP started in 1958 when the French Armed Forces invited the German military to join them in Lourdes as a gesture of post-war reconciliation. Since then the pilgrimage has opened up and, in 2011, some 37 countries were represented among the 20,000 military pilgrims.
The invitation is sent to the British Chief of the Defence Staff by his French counterpart and it is the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces who arranges the British participation. The British participants came from bases in the UK, Germany and Cyprus.
Newswire – LGA: Town hall stars of the future could soon be set for small screen fame as they gear up for the final stages of the Local Government Challenge. The annual competition, which pits ambitious council officers against each other to discover if they have what it takes to be a top chief executive, is nearing its finale. All the action – successes, mistakes, disagreements - has been captured by TV cameras and the first episode has now gone live.
Following a rigorous selection process, 10 council employees were thrown in at the deep end earlier this year to undertake 5 real-life challenges and demonstrate they have the skills & potential to make the grade. Up for grabs is a £10,000 scholarship to spend on an innovative project to promote localism & the work of town halls.
NA: The latest image library showcase from the National Archives focuses on the fateful RMS Titanic, launched in Belfast 100 years ago. Taking 3 years to build, the ship was the largest moving man-made object in the world at the time and entered Belfast Lough on 31 May 1911. Though believed to be 'unsinkable', the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912 after hitting an iceberg. The National Archives holds much unique & rare material relating to the ship and her last hours.
Ofcom: Mobilife™, a mobile price comparison website that aims to simplify the process of choosing a new contract mobile phone deal, is the latest site to have its price comparison calculator accredited by Ofcom. Mobilife’s price comparison calculator has been awarded the Ofcom price accreditation scheme logo for meeting the terms of a rigorous independent audit. The audit checks whether the information provided to consumers is accessible, accurate, transparent, comprehensive and up to date.
DirectGov: To mark 60 years of the Queen's reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012. The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend on 2- 5 June 2012. Buckingham Palace will be co-ordinating a programme of events centred around the extended weekend.
FSA: Asiana is recalling all cans of Uni President brand Calamondin Lemon Drink, Sugar Cane Drink and Guava Drink, because the products contain 2 unauthorised ingredients (DINP and DEHP). The Food Standards Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.
FSA: The Food Standards Agency has been notified that Maison Blanc has withdrawn its Apricot & Almond Cake because it contains milk, which is not mentioned in the allergy advice on the product label. Butter is included in the ingredients list. Only 150 units of the affected cake were distributed to Waitrose & Ocado.
LSIS: The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) has unveiled a futures-planning initiative. Using a unique online survey to gather the wisdom & insights of the entire sector, the Scenario Planning: plan for your future project will enable providers to ‘support cultural change in their organisation and rise to the challenge of change’. The initiative has been designed to help to improve the sector’s scenario planning culture and to strengthen its organisational resilience.
The online tool called The Ideas Bank combines sector-wide ideas & analysis in real-time on a scale that is unachievable by conventional means. As the process develops and more people contribute, the bank of ideas will grow, creating a comprehensive record of the sector’s perspectives on the future.
Participation in the survey from June 9 to August 14 is anonymous and the data gathered will be used in the second part of the initiative - a series of follow-up seminars, workshops and meetings that enable colleagues to explore the results in a professional dialogue with others.
ACE: Work has officially started on building a backstage training centre which will be the new flagship home for the NationalSkillsAcademy for Creative & Cultural (NSA). Based at the Arts Council funded £60m High House Production Park in Purfleet, Essex, the new state-of-the art building will become a national beacon of excellence for skills in the creative & cultural sector.
