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Issue:- 18 April 2013

Southport student's Olympic book officially launched in Fiji

A Southport student has brought a piece of London 2012 history to life after Olympic officials from the other side of the world commissioned her to edit a book about their countries experiences during the Games.

Lorna Hargreaves, a publishing student from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has edited Oceania; An Odyssey to the Olympic Games which shares the personal experiences of athletes from 15 Pacific countries who overcame social and economic barriers to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The 24 year old from Churchtown was commissioned by the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) to bring together a collection of stories written by young journalists from the Reporters' Academy, a charity which works with under privileged youngsters, about athletes from the Pacific nations who visited the North West to train for the Games.

Lorna managed to edit the book in less than two months and even worked on it on Christmas Day to make sure she met her deadline. It will be officially launched in Fiji at the ONOC General Meeting this month and Lorna is heading to the launch to personally present committee officials with copies of the book.

The former Christ the King Catholic High School and KGV College pupil commented:- "I'm nervous but also really excited about presenting it to them. It's taken a lot of work to weave the stories together in a narrative that captures the Olympic experiences of athletes who had to go the extra mile to make it to London. They came from islands that have limited facilities and suffer from a lack of funding so the athletes' stories are unique and inspiring. I'm really proud of the final result and I'm sure it will be a great asset to my CV."

UCLan was an official training camp for 14 athletes in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games; the athletes from Fiji, Guam, Samoa and Tuvalu spent three weeks in Preston preparing for their events using the University's multi million pound sports facilities.

The Reporters' Academy journalists were given exclusive behind the scenes access at the Olympics to cover the Oceania's athletes' progress from their North West training bases through to the Games in London.

Head of UCLan Publishing Debbie Williams said:- "This was such a great opportunity for Lorna. Taking on such a complex and high-profile book was a challenge but Lorna is a great student and rose to that challenge. UCLan Publishing is proud to be involved with this wonderful project."

Oceania; An Odyssey to the Olympic Games was published by UCLan Publishing, the University's own publishing house, which offers students the chance to work in a real publishing environment to produce commercial books for sale on the open market.

Lorna and other students have recently returned from a University trip to the Artic to gather content for a book and documentary film planned for later this year and the facility is due to publish a book by Jacqueline Wilson in August. UCLan Publishing has already published children's book Letters to Africa and Lancashire Cooking - Braises, Bakes, Puddings and Cakes - Treats from a Lancashire Oven.

PETS AT HOME IN SOUTHPORT TO STOP SALE OF MUESLI RABBIT FOODS

PETS at Home in Southport has announced it is to stop selling rabbit muesli as a result of ground-breaking new industry research.  On 3 April 2013, it was announced that new research conducted by The University of Edinburgh & Burgess Pet Care has shown that rabbits fed on a muesli diet are more likely to suffer from dental and digestive problems.  Following the announcement, Pets at Home is leading the industry by ensuring that all of its 345 stores will gradually phase out rabbit muesli to allow customers the fourteen days needed to transition their rabbits onto nuggets.

Sally Hopson, Customer & People Director of Pets at Home, said:- "We're dedicated to responsible pet ownership and therefore support the latest thinking in pet welfare standards. The results of the rabbit muesli research demonstrate what has always been felt amongst the veterinary community and we have decided to follow that lead. This means we have completely overhauled our rabbit food offering to ensure pets are kept healthy and happy."

Maeve Moorcroft MVB MRCVS, Head of Pets at Pets at Home, added:- "This is a great step forward for all rabbits, but it's crucial to remember that hay is the most important part of a rabbit's diet and should make up at least 80% of their daily intake, with fresh leafy greens and nuggets making up the remaining 20%. Fresh water should also be available at all times.  Rabbit owners should also be made aware that any changes to their rabbit's diet should be done gradually so as not to cause digestive upset; ideally over a two-week period."

The RSPCA and Pets at Home urges owners to feed their rabbits a diet of mainly hay and/or grass, with some leafy greens. A small, measured ration of good quality pellets/nuggets can also be fed each day. You can find out more on dietary advice at either from:- petsathome.com or from the RSPCA website.

"The RSPCA welcomes this move by Pets at Home," said Rachel Roxburgh, rabbit welfare scientist, RSPCA.  "Let's hope others will follow their example and make this the year that we begin making a real difference for our rabbits' welfare - starting by feeding them the right diet!

The findings from this new study confirm what many vets and rabbit experts have long suspected - that muesli is not good for a rabbit's health. Feeding muesli can increase the risk of rabbits developing serious dental and digestive problems, which can have a detrimental effect on their quality of life."


For more advice or information please speak to one of Pets at Home's trained in-store colleagues and ask to see the leaflet 'Muesli and your rabbit's diet.'

Further research is available at:- rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk.

Sky Watch 2013 – Look out for the Lyrids

THE Lyrids meteor shower will take place over 16 April to 25 April with the peak due on the 21 April 2013. This occurrence happens every spring and is the 2nd major shower of the year. This shower is expected to range from 10 to 20 meteors per hour if conditions are ideal. The shower takes place in North to North-Eastern sky. If you are interested in meteors take a look at this website:- lunarmeteoritehunters.blogspot.co.uk If skies are clear we will see if we can get a few shots of this annual event for you.

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