Are you adventurous, fun and up for a challenge?

BBC Three is looking for teenagers who consider themselves overweight to embark on the adventure of a lifetime living with a tribe in a remote area of the world.

Last year BBC Three’s Fat Men Can’t Hunt saw eight adults head out to the Kalahari Desert to live with a bushman tribe. Learning to hunt and gather for themselves the eight adventurers had the opportunity to prove that size really doesn’t matter. This year it will be teenagers that will get the chance to show what they are made of with a new tribe in another exciting location.

This is an amazing opportunity for 16 - 19 year olds to have an experience they will never forget.

For one month ten teenagers will live amongst a native group of people in a remote wilderness area, where they will learn to live life as it used to be. The teens will be taught to Hunt and gather, eating only a natural and unprocessed diet.

Top British nutritionist Alice Sykes will lead the teenagers through the experiment teaching them about nutrition and helping the group to change their food habits so that they can live a healthier and more active lifestyle permanently.

If you are 16 to 19 years old and fancy putting your outward-bound skills to the test while losing a bit of weight in the process then this could be the project you’re looking for.

Tribal mentors will teach the group a wealth of survival skills. This is an opportunity like never before.

If you feel bored, in a rut and desperate for a change of lifestyle this is the show for you!

Call 0870 871 0784

Email teens@endemoluk.com

Make sure you leave your name, age, contact telephone number and a quick reason for wanting to lose weight.

Deadline 30th June 2007

New award aims to reward local food heroes

The Nursery Food Awards 2007 are being launched this month to champion those nurseries that are providing healthy, fresh, local and organic foods for young children.

The awards are being run by Organix, in partnership with the Soil Association, and supported by Hobart and Nursery World.

Over a million children in the UK attend nurseries, aged between three months and five years. What they eat affects their long-term health as well as their daily wellbeing.

Nursery staff, parents and the general public are being asked to nominate those nurseries that provide fresh, healthy and enjoyable food. Extra marks will be given to those that source local and organic foods and work to nutritional guidelines, as well as incorporating learning about food and health into the nursery day.

Jeanette Orrey, the Soil Association’s school meals policy advisor; Liz Roberts, editor of Nursery World magazine, and nutritionist Annie Seeley, together with Organix founder Lizzie Vann, will form the judging panel.

The best nursery will win £1000 of Hobart kitchen equipment, and two runners-up will each receive £500 of Hobart equipment. The top 50 nurseries will each receive an organic goodie box.

In addition, the Organix Nursery Cookbook Award is to be awarded to the best cookbook or recipes submitted by a nursery. The winner’s cookbook or recipes will be transformed into a practical and stylish website and also published in book format.

The application form is available at www.organix.com/nurseryfoodawards and the closing date is September 7. The judges will visit short-listed nurseries in October, and the winning nurseries will be announced in November.

Lizzie Vann, founder of Organix, said: “Nurseries have been overlooked in the radical review of school meals that has taken place since 2005. We are launching these awards to showcase best practice and inspire other nurseries to look at the health of the children in their care, especially as it relates to the food they eat whilst at nursery.”

Peter Melchett, Policy Director at the Soil Association, said: “We are delighted to be launching the Nursery Food Awards with Organix and Nursery World.

“Nurseries can play a vital role in helping parents familiarise young children with fresh, healthy food and where good food comes from. Too many of today’s children are growing up thinking that food is something plastic-wrapped that comes from a supermarket.

“Children’s food should be fresh, seasonal, local and organic, and they should have the opportunity to visit farms to understand the journey of food from field to fork and what this means for their health and the environment.”

Annie Seeley, nutritionist and awards judge, said: “A child’s early years are crucial in setting good eating habits for life. The Nursery Awards are a great opportunity to recognise and reward nurseries promoting healthy eating by providing nutritious, well balanced meals and snacks.”

For a paper application form or more information or pics please contact Joanna.quinn@organix.com / or ring Joanna on 01202 409511.

Notes for Editors

1. Organix is a 15 year old pioneering children’s food company making organic foods for babies and young children. The company is based in Christchurch, Dorset. Company founder Lizzie Vann was one of the team that initiated the pioneering Food for Life School Meals programme for primary schools.

2. The Soil Association is the UK’s leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic farming and championing human health, and its organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce

3. Hobart UK is market leader in the manufacture and supply of catering equipment. For more information go to www.hobartuk.com.

4. Nursery World is the leading magazine for early years and childcare practitioners. For more information go to www.nurseryworld.co.uk.

5. The awards follow on from the groundbreaking Soil Association School Food Awards, which were run in partnership with Organix in 2005 and 2006.

6. The judges will be looking to recognise those nursery workers and food suppliers who are working toward sourcing local and organic ingredients as recommended by the Soil Association Food for Life targets. These targets are part of the £16.9 million Big Lottery-funded Food for Life Partnership, led by the Soil Association, together with The Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust. This project sees them working with schools and, communities across England to improve food provision and food education for children, their parents and the wider community. For more information about the Food for Life Partnership go to www.foodforlife.org.uk.

The Red Cross shop at Scarffes Entry in Omagh town centre has been forced to close temporarily for repair following last week’s flash floods.

A complete refit is needed after floodwater left the premises badly damaged and ruined most of the stock. The shop will be closed until further notice.

Lynda Hamilton, Shop Manager in Omagh, is organising the repair work. She says;
“We have a lot of water damage to deal with and we will probably be closed for a few months. I can only apologise for any inconvenience and ask our many customers to bear with us during this time.

“Once the refit is finished we will need to completely restock and will be appealing to all our supporters at that time for help to get us back up and running. “
In the meantime Red Cross customers can shop at, and take their stock donations to, the Red Cross shop in Irvinestown.

Leading charity, Action Cancer and independent retail group, Centra have announced the winners of their fifth annual Health Action Awards. In the Western Education and Library Board region Omagh High School and St. Patrick’s Primary, Newtownstewart have won awards, recognising their proactive approach to health promotion activities for pupils.

Sixteen winning schools impressed Action Cancer with their commitment to healthy eating, extra-curricular exercise, safe sun education and cancer awareness programmes.

The awards are part of Action Cancer’s ongoing Health Action initiative, which offers a range of health promotion roadshows for primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, and is sponsored by Centra.

Developed specifically for Northern Ireland schools, Health Action aims to educate young people on the importance of a healthy diet, care in the sun and the need to take exercise in the fight against cancer. The award-winning programme is supported by the 86 Centra retailers across the province, who have raised £270,000 to fund Health Action over the past four years.

Action Cancer’s Health Promotion Manager, Emily Magrath congratulated the winners; “Each year in the award applications we see the excellent health promotion work being done in schools across Northern Ireland. It is always difficult to choose the winners, but the top schools this year really shone, with a wide range of healthy activities for pupils.

“The aim of the awards is to encourage schools to do as much as they can to improve the health of young people. The winning schools have shown real commitment to the health of the young people in their charge.

She added; “With Centra’s help Action Cancer’s Health Action programme continues to make a positive impact, delivering healthy lifestyle messages to more than 70,000 schoolchildren since 2003.”

All sixteen schools receive a Health Action trophy and the winning primary and secondary school in each Education and Library Board will be given a £200 cash prize, to be spent on school equipment. Awards will be presented at a special ceremony in October.

Centra Brand Manager, Nicky Kelly commented; “Centra retailers, very often parents themselves, understand the importance of health education for young people and proactively support Health Action by promoting the scheme locally and fundraising for its running costs. We are proud to support the Health Action Awards as they help motivate schools to deliver high quality health promotion activities and this will hopefully save lives in the future.”

For information on the Health Action Awards, or to get your school involved in the Health Action programme contact Action Cancer on 028 9080 3344. A full list of Health Action Award winners is available at www.actioncancer.org

HIC’s new policy document system isn’t affected by Royal Mail strike

If the Royal Mail strike goes ahead next week, there’s going to be one business less affected than most.

Specialist insurance broker Herts Insurance Consultants (HIC) recently introduced a new system to distribute insurance documents online, allowing customers to print out the documents themselves and circumventing the postal system.

The system, Ecomail, means that customers not only don’t have to worry about the postal strike, but they get their documents within minutes of finalising their insurance details, instead of several days later.

“This is timely news for those waiting for their insurance documents before they can tax their vehicle and hit the road”, says Andy Morton of HIC.

“We introduced Ecomail because people often need documents faster than the modern postal system could deliver. And now that most of our customers have computers and colour printers, it makes sense to send their documents via the internet.”

“I believe we are the only insurance broker doing it this way. It’s definitely the way forward – it saves time, money and paper. And during the postal strike, it’s going to save everyone’s nerves too.”

HIC says that bypassing the postal strike isn’t the only benefit. The Ecomail system is also reducing the company’s costs such as postage, so that it’s not under the same pressure as other insurers to increase premiums. And it’s significantly reducing environmental impact, reducing the amount of paper needed, since envelopes and covering documentation don’t need to be printed, and fuel isn’t used in postal delivery of the paper.

“Ecomail is strictly optional”, Andy Morton emphasises. “They can choose to receive their policy documents by regular - er - ‘first class’ post so to speak. But increasing numbers of our customers are voting with their mouse, and the postal strike is making this option even more attractive.”

HIC is the enthusiast’s car insurer with a passion for motoring that translates into great deals on car insurance. For more information visit www.hertsinsurance.com or call 08451 290290.

- Climate Change Expected To Be Issue for Students

Belfast, Thursday 22nd June 2007: With climate change at the forefront of the minds of weathermen, politicians and concerned citizens’ alike, it is no surprise that our secondary school students are beginning to ask questions. What will the world be like when they are adults? What will it be like for their children and their children’s children?

Presentations on Climate Change will be just some of the special attractions at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2008. Details were announced today of the forthcoming exhibition along with a call to action from organising sponsors BT to encourage Northern Ireland students to think about their project topics now and to start working on them during the summer months.

Global warming and widespread drought? Snow in June? Warm sunshine in January? Heatwaves in March and torrential rain in July? Will Northern Ireland one day see major hurricanes and tidal waves? These questions and many more are being asked on the global stage as well as at home. The students entering the exhibition are very aware of the environment around them and have major concerns about what the future holds for them. Consequently it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of projects entered this year.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Education, Caitríona Ruane, MLA, said, “This competition is a great success story in terms of encouraging girls and boys to enjoy science and technology. It is very well established as a showcase of talent, creativity, and enterprise.

“The competition gives students an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the world of science and technology and to have fun; I encourage every student in the North to think seriously about entering. It is a great occasion to meet students from all over Ireland and to exchange ideas. It also offers great opportunities for the future for those who go on and win the competition.”

Peter Morris, Head of Consumer, BT in Northern Ireland said, “The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition represents a major commitment not only to the education of our young people, but also to the successful economic future of the island.

“We would like to take the opportunity to call upon schools, especially those that have never entered the competition or haven’t done so for a number of years, to encourage students to decide on a project and to start work on it over the summer months. The originality and quality of the projects entered into Young Scientist never ceases to amaze, and this year we look forward to seeing an increase in the number of entries from the North,” he added.

This is the 44th year of the exhibition which is the biggest of its kind in Europe. Plans are already afoot to stage another visually dramatic and interactive exhibition for both exhibitors and visitors to enjoy.

Participating schools in Northern Ireland can now apply for a grant scheme under which BT will assist in students’ accommodation costs. Projects from those schools that qualify to compete in the exhibition may be awarded either £70 for an individual entry or £140 for a group entry, subject to a maximum grant of £700 per school and other applicable terms.

Now is the time for students to begin putting those thinking caps on. The summer break offers students the perfect opportunity to select and start work on a project topic. The closing date for entries is 5th October 2007.

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2008 will take place in the RDS, Dublin 4, from 8th – 12th January 2008. For more information, please visit www.btyoungscientist.ie or call 0800 917 1297.

Green fingers and their owners were under starters’ orders today as the 29th Translink Ulster in Bloom competition got underway.

Launched this week (at Downpatrick’s Ballydugan Mill) by Translink, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), the competition is open to all villages, towns and cities in Northern Ireland, with judging taking place during July and August.

Speaking at the event Translink Chairman, Mrs Veronica Palmer encouraged the 121 participants in this year’s competition to give free rein to their creativity and competitiveness in order to impress the judges and produce their best blooms to date.

“We are amazed each year by the dedication and attention to detail of all the Ulster in Bloom contenders, not to mention the vast number of hours that go into planting, pruning, watering – and occasionally talking to plants! – in order to produce the best results.

“However the beauty of the Ulster in Bloom competition is that the fruits of our entrants’ labours are not just competition entries, but also provide enormous pleasure to local residents and tourists to Northern Ireland.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those with an interest in gardening who use their talents in this way to the benefit of the wider community.“

NILGA President Sean McPeake added: “The heart of the competition is about caring for the environment and it’s lovely to see cities, towns and villages clean, tidy and tastefully decorated with flowers, shrubs and trees. There is no entry fee to participate and NILGA would like to call upon every council and community to give the Competition the support it deserves and warmly congratulate all those councils already involved.”
Mr Patrick Stapleton, NITB Board Member said; “Since 1979 this event has grown to become a household name across Northern Ireland. Who would have thought back then that the event would become so successful, or indeed that Northern Ireland would be named as a must-see travel destination by the world’s leading travel publication, Lonely Planet?

“The Ulster in Bloom competition is an invaluable tool in attracting visitors; it also ensures that their stay in Northern Ireland is even more pleasant. On behalf of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board I would like to congratulate and thank all of the partners involved in organising this event which seems to go from strength to strength every year,” he said.