Spring harvest keep to invest
Spring Harvest announced that it kept 90 per cent of the offerings from this year’s festivals, in order to keep their work going. The event, which is part of the group that organises Youthwork the Conference, has historically used offerings to fund the work of other charities, giving over £10m in the last 20 years. Spring Harvest’s event director Abby Guiness said: ‘It’s not a permanent change in policy – we passionately believe that Spring Harvest is good for the Church, but prices are already quite high and running an event like this doesn’t always cover our costs. We want to invest in the future, to try new things and keep going.’
Youthwork in the national curriculum
Young people from Oxfordshire are campaigning to have youth work added to the national curriculum. Abigail Sadler and Daniel Bird are both studying the subject at North Oxfordshire Academy, the only sixth form in the area to have the course as an option and are working with Fixers to create their campaign. Daniel, a fellow ‘Fixer’ said: ‘Youth work provides young people with some great benefits. The long-term rewards are amazing. There’s nothing else I’ve found that gives rewards like youth work because you know you’re changing the future.’.
Computers blamed for bad backs
A study has claimed that computers and mobile phones are increasing back problems among teenagers. The research from the British Chiropractic Association showed that 40 per cent of 11 to 16 year-olds in Britain have experienced back or next pain, and more than one in seven of the 460 parents questioned said their child’s pain was a result of using a computer or tablet. The study also claimed that 23 per cent of teenagers spent between two and four hours a day watching television.
