Another piece of coursework, this time written in the style of The Times 2. I didn't pitch this one.
Secret Diary of a Call Girl – ITV2 (one star out of five)
Last night’s finale of series 3 for Secret Diary of a Call Girl brought an end to what has been a dismal run for everyone’s favourite escort.
The episode revolved around the wedding of fellow working girl Bambi (Ashley Madekwe) and Belle’s (Billie Piper) discovery that her perfect publisher-boyfriend, Duncan (James D’Arcy) has been seeing other women.
Yet any attempt to expose Belle’s vulnerability fell short as her heartbreak was fleeting and she was soon jetting off to see her next client.
In fact, as series 3 has progressed both the plot and characters have remained static and it has been a tedious repetition of the same motions.
Belle is still as narcissistic as ever and oblivious to anything beyond the next appointment. While Ben (Iddo Goldberg), Belle’s ex-boyfriend and best friend, has become all the more frustrated and lovelorn as his unrequited feelings linger on.
He spends most of the series apologising for drunkenly insulting her new beau. Then there is doe-eyed Bambi whose naivety is matched by her equally clueless and eccentric aristocratic fiancé Byron (David Dawson).
The only new element on the latest outing with Belle is the relationship with her publisher but even this seems stale given her previous attempts to find love which have proved to be disastrous.
At the end of the last series Belle’s book was published anonymously and for the follow-up novel Duncan pushes her to seek out clients with all manner of kinks. But apart from some Sploshing (sex involving food), role play and a bit of cross-dressing thrown in for good measure only the most superficial of glances is given to sexual fetishes.
Unlike its predecessors, series 3 fails to delve further into the little-known world of high-class prostitution instead much of the charm and intrigue have been replaced with soap opera storylines.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Fundraising can improve your life and career prospects
A piece I wrote as part of coursework earlier this year. It's written in the style of 'Take A Break' magazine. Unfortunately, they decided they didn't want to publish it. Maybe next time.
There are hundreds of people across the country who go that extra mile for charity. You probably know some who’s training for a sponsored run, bike ride or walk. It might be a friend, a colleague, your sister or even your mum. They are ordinary folk who really want to make a difference and their small contributions make a big difference to others. But did you know that fundraising can also be good for your career and general wellbeing?
Managing Director of recruitment consultants Office Angels, David Clubb, says: ‘Being involved in fundraising is a great way of raising your awareness of social responsibility – something which many businesses take very seriously.’
‘It’s important to remember that being involved in fundraising work goes much further than standing outside shops with a coin collector. Being involved in fundraising work is often a real eye-opener for many people.’
‘For those currently between jobs fundraising work is great way to gain experience in a number of sectors and job roles. It also shows future employers that you are proactive and keen to be working and assisting others.’
Fundraising can not only boost your career prospects, it can also be a source of personal growth. Life Coach Carole Ann Rice has worked with individuals from all walks of life and says: ‘Helping other people either through fundraising or working in a voluntary capacity removes you from your problems and your world. It’s almost like a natural Prozac to help other people.’
‘At least if you’re doing something like raising money for a good cause you feel you have achieved something and I think there’s a great deal of personal satisfaction and confidence and self-esteem that can be raised through that sense of achievement on behalf of other people.’
She adds: ‘I think it certainly ups your chances of having a sense of focus, satisfaction and fulfilment in your life.’
Daniel Barnes, 31, of Brockley, Southeast London is running 500 miles this year for Josie’s Dragonfly. The charity gives cash donations to children with cancer not considered curable. Josie Madeline Grove was Daniel’s cousin who died from leukaemia in 2007. Daniel has just broken the 100 mile mark and is still going.
‘Last year I lost my job and spent a month or so sitting around the house feeling glum and eating cakes.’
‘Over Christmas, the idea of running 500 miles over the year came to me as a way of motivating me to get out. I am not very athletic, so I thought I would try something difficult. The other side is that it is a good excuse to raise money for a good cause.’
‘Running 500 miles was on my CV and I was asked and talked about it in a couple of interviews.’
‘I think it did add something unique to the CV, which probably helped a little.
For all the interviews I had, I always checked where I might run, or if I could run home.’
‘Knowing I have done this for charity is a bonus. I try to act nonchalant about it, that I was running anyway so it made sense to just raise money too, but in fact it does make me proud that I can make a difference. Maybe I'll aim for 1000 km in 2011.’
Lindsay Topham, 24, from Twickenham, Southwest London, is another fundraising superhero. She is gearing up for the London Marathon in April to raise money for Oxfam.
Lindsay says: ‘They’re just a charity that I really believe in and believe in the work that they do. I find them quite effective as a charity. I was really keen to run the London Marathon anyway so when Oxfam had some places it felt like it was the right thing to do.’
‘I wrote to Oxfam and said I would really like to do a charity place and they rung me and asked a few questions and then gave me a place.’
‘I think it’s important to push yourself and challenge yourself. It’s the nerves and having to promote yourself. And it’s all about personal growth.’
‘You sign up to something like the marathon because it’s only you that can get through it. You are the only competition.’
She adds: ‘It’s a real sense of achievement to know that you’ve put your body through all that and it’s not just that one day, it’s the nine months leading up to it. I’m looking forward to the whole day: the excitement, the getting there.’
“I think in a year or so after running the marathon I would like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or some sort of mountain.”
JustGiving is a website which helps people who want raise money for charity. More information can be found at: www.justgiving.com
There are hundreds of people across the country who go that extra mile for charity. You probably know some who’s training for a sponsored run, bike ride or walk. It might be a friend, a colleague, your sister or even your mum. They are ordinary folk who really want to make a difference and their small contributions make a big difference to others. But did you know that fundraising can also be good for your career and general wellbeing?
Managing Director of recruitment consultants Office Angels, David Clubb, says: ‘Being involved in fundraising is a great way of raising your awareness of social responsibility – something which many businesses take very seriously.’
‘It’s important to remember that being involved in fundraising work goes much further than standing outside shops with a coin collector. Being involved in fundraising work is often a real eye-opener for many people.’
‘For those currently between jobs fundraising work is great way to gain experience in a number of sectors and job roles. It also shows future employers that you are proactive and keen to be working and assisting others.’
Fundraising can not only boost your career prospects, it can also be a source of personal growth. Life Coach Carole Ann Rice has worked with individuals from all walks of life and says: ‘Helping other people either through fundraising or working in a voluntary capacity removes you from your problems and your world. It’s almost like a natural Prozac to help other people.’
‘At least if you’re doing something like raising money for a good cause you feel you have achieved something and I think there’s a great deal of personal satisfaction and confidence and self-esteem that can be raised through that sense of achievement on behalf of other people.’
She adds: ‘I think it certainly ups your chances of having a sense of focus, satisfaction and fulfilment in your life.’
Daniel Barnes, 31, of Brockley, Southeast London is running 500 miles this year for Josie’s Dragonfly. The charity gives cash donations to children with cancer not considered curable. Josie Madeline Grove was Daniel’s cousin who died from leukaemia in 2007. Daniel has just broken the 100 mile mark and is still going.
‘Last year I lost my job and spent a month or so sitting around the house feeling glum and eating cakes.’
‘Over Christmas, the idea of running 500 miles over the year came to me as a way of motivating me to get out. I am not very athletic, so I thought I would try something difficult. The other side is that it is a good excuse to raise money for a good cause.’
‘Running 500 miles was on my CV and I was asked and talked about it in a couple of interviews.’
‘I think it did add something unique to the CV, which probably helped a little.
For all the interviews I had, I always checked where I might run, or if I could run home.’
‘Knowing I have done this for charity is a bonus. I try to act nonchalant about it, that I was running anyway so it made sense to just raise money too, but in fact it does make me proud that I can make a difference. Maybe I'll aim for 1000 km in 2011.’
Lindsay Topham, 24, from Twickenham, Southwest London, is another fundraising superhero. She is gearing up for the London Marathon in April to raise money for Oxfam.
Lindsay says: ‘They’re just a charity that I really believe in and believe in the work that they do. I find them quite effective as a charity. I was really keen to run the London Marathon anyway so when Oxfam had some places it felt like it was the right thing to do.’
‘I wrote to Oxfam and said I would really like to do a charity place and they rung me and asked a few questions and then gave me a place.’
‘I think it’s important to push yourself and challenge yourself. It’s the nerves and having to promote yourself. And it’s all about personal growth.’
‘You sign up to something like the marathon because it’s only you that can get through it. You are the only competition.’
She adds: ‘It’s a real sense of achievement to know that you’ve put your body through all that and it’s not just that one day, it’s the nine months leading up to it. I’m looking forward to the whole day: the excitement, the getting there.’
“I think in a year or so after running the marathon I would like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or some sort of mountain.”
JustGiving is a website which helps people who want raise money for charity. More information can be found at: www.justgiving.com
Friday, June 25, 2010
Re-evaluating pensions
The link between the BP oil spill and British pension funds has got me thinking that maybe it’s time to reflect on where our retirement funds come from, and whether we should look at re-investing.
A couple of years ago I wrote a story about Aberdeen Asset Management launching a series of socially responsible investing funds in the Netherlands.
SRI funds, as the name suggests, look to make returns through investing ethically or socially consciously.
For example, they would not be invested in munitions factories or companies with poor human rights records. Instead they focus on areas such as green energy and social justice.
I was told that SRI funds had gained popularity in the Netherlands following a documentary entitled ‘The Clusterbomb Feeling’, which aired in March 2007.
The programme revealed that several Dutch pension funds had been investing in cluster bombs, land mines and companies that were guilty of child labour.
The revelations shocked the Dutch public and put pressure on pension funds to re-assess their investments.
I think perhaps Britain needs to have its own cluster bomb moment. Most people do not know where their retirement money is coming from and if they did, then they maybe put off from following a specific plan.
Also, as this environmental disaster unfolds and BP faces increasing pressure to halt dividend payments to shareholders, it now seems like the right time to look to greener companies.
British pensions are heavily invested in BP which poses a problem for people if dividend payments are frozen because they will not receive retirement contributions from the company.
If dividends are stopped, it could have a detrimental effect on individuals getting ready to retire amid concerns of a double dip recession and tax rises.
Add to this the fear of oil running out and fossil fuels in short supply, makes the step towards SRI seem more logical.
Retirement funds are about the long term, stable investments rather than the short term therefore, it would make more sense to invest in sustainable sectors.
However, oil, gas and other such industries make massive returns therefore, it is unlikely that retirement funds will stop investing in them anytime soon.
But the question is: what will it take for pension funds to change their ways? And will it require a spill bigger than BP for us to look at where our retirement is coming from?
A couple of years ago I wrote a story about Aberdeen Asset Management launching a series of socially responsible investing funds in the Netherlands.
SRI funds, as the name suggests, look to make returns through investing ethically or socially consciously.
For example, they would not be invested in munitions factories or companies with poor human rights records. Instead they focus on areas such as green energy and social justice.
I was told that SRI funds had gained popularity in the Netherlands following a documentary entitled ‘The Clusterbomb Feeling’, which aired in March 2007.
The programme revealed that several Dutch pension funds had been investing in cluster bombs, land mines and companies that were guilty of child labour.
The revelations shocked the Dutch public and put pressure on pension funds to re-assess their investments.
I think perhaps Britain needs to have its own cluster bomb moment. Most people do not know where their retirement money is coming from and if they did, then they maybe put off from following a specific plan.
Also, as this environmental disaster unfolds and BP faces increasing pressure to halt dividend payments to shareholders, it now seems like the right time to look to greener companies.
British pensions are heavily invested in BP which poses a problem for people if dividend payments are frozen because they will not receive retirement contributions from the company.
If dividends are stopped, it could have a detrimental effect on individuals getting ready to retire amid concerns of a double dip recession and tax rises.
Add to this the fear of oil running out and fossil fuels in short supply, makes the step towards SRI seem more logical.
Retirement funds are about the long term, stable investments rather than the short term therefore, it would make more sense to invest in sustainable sectors.
However, oil, gas and other such industries make massive returns therefore, it is unlikely that retirement funds will stop investing in them anytime soon.
But the question is: what will it take for pension funds to change their ways? And will it require a spill bigger than BP for us to look at where our retirement is coming from?
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