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Nice 'n'
Naughty have continued to garner accolades
FOLLOWING an incredible
performance at last year's ETO awards, Nice 'n' Naughty have
continued to garner accolades as we are nominated for a 6th year
in four categories. Celebrating our status as an award winning
company in both UK and European institutions, the Nice 'n' Naughty
brand continues to embody its mission statement, providing only the
highest quality of service and products in brick and mortar as well
as virtual marketplaces.
Subsequent to the successful launch of our brand new website in
October of last year and Nice 'n' Naughty branded massage and bath
oils in December, we have continued to evolve as retailers in our
search to provide our varied customer base with a multitude of
exclusive products. In conjunction with our high service standard,
Nice 'n' Naughty's dedication to the adult industry has singled us
out again for nomination.
It is with this in mind that Nice 'n' Naughty are so grateful for
the opportunity to be nominated in the following four categories at
this year's ETO awards show; Best Retail Chain, Best Individual
Store, Most Innovative Retailer and Best Online Retailer.
We would like to thank all those who have taken the time to nominate
us for these prestigious awards.
This is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of our staff and
our suppliers who have allowed us to maintain our position as a
retailer of great quality and exemplary service.
We look forward to seeing you all at both the trading and awards
shows in June.
WARMTH SCHEME RAISES DEMENTIA
AWARENESS IN SOUTHPORT
TO mark Dementia Awareness Week; 19 May to 25 May 2013, a warmth
scheme working with vulnerable people in Southport is raising
awareness of the help on hand.
npower Health Through Warmth helps vulnerable homeowners, such as
people with dementia, by installing or repairing heating and
insulation. The scheme is encouraging people who have family and
friends with the disease to find out more about the support on
offer.
Since its launch in 2000, npower Health Through Warmth has worked
closely with charities and other organisations including
Foundations, the governing body for home improvement agency and
handyperson services in England, to better understand dementia and
help people affected. A recent report Dementia: Finding Housing
Solutions, published by the National Housing Federation in
collaboration with Foundations and the Housing LIN found that
specially adapted homes, for example installing telecare, such as
personal alarms, or ensuring the home is efficiently heated, can
help people with dementia live independently for longer.
Elaine Midwinter, npower Health Through Warmth scheme manager,
comments:- "People in Southport can get in touch with us on
behalf of a family member or friend with dementia if they are
worried that their health is being affected by living in a cold
home, due to lack of heating or insulation. Dementia Awareness Week
is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the disease and
encourage people to contact us if they think that they, or someone
they know, could be eligible for our help."
npower Health Through Warmth offers help with the funding and
installation of heating and insulation measures for vulnerable
people. The scheme is available to homeowners who have a
cold-related illness, a low income with little or no savings and who
are unable to fully fund measures, such as a new boiler or heating
system. You do not have to be, or become, an npower customer to
benefit from the scheme.
Since 2000, more than 79,000 vulnerable residents in England and
Wales have been referred to npower Health Through Warmth for help
with heating and insulation. More than £67million has been levered
to help fund the work required, which includes £1.7million from
charitable organisations. In addition, £8.9million has been
contributed from the unique npower Health Through Warmth Crisis
Fund.
Dementia Awareness Week is the Alzheimer's Society's annual flagship
awareness-raising campaign. It will take place from 19 May 2013 to 25 May 2013,
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information visit:-
alzheimers.org.uk.
Cream ladies run
in memory of Tony Barton, brother of Liverpool superclub bosses
3 ladies from Liverpool Cream have raised over
£1200 for the haematological ward at the Royal Liverpool Hospital in
memory of Tony Barton, whose brothers founded the world famous
nightclub.
Holly, Laura and Hayley, collectively known as 'the lemons' ran the
Liverpool Spring 10k in Sefton Park on Sunday 5 May for Tony, who
died earlier this year aged 47 after losing his battle against
cancer.
The dad-of-three, originally from Everton, received treatment at the
Royal and fought acute lymphoblastic leukaemia but sadly was struck
with a bone cancer just 18 months ago.
Tony's brothers, James and Scott Barton, founded Cream in Liverpool
and raised £1000 for the Royal Liverpool Hospital by running the New
York marathon in 2008 and the London Marathon in 2009.
Holly Andrews, who works at Cream in Liverpool, said:- "Tony
worked closely with the Royal after spending time on the
haematological ward. Along with his brothers he raised thousands
through sponsored events and offered support to other patients
undergoing treatment. Tony was brave and inspirational
throughout his illness and we wanted to do something in his memory
and help a cause which was so important to him."
Ward 7Y at The Royal Liverpool Hospital is responsible for the
inpatient treatment of patients with a wide range of haematological
illnesses including acute and chronic leukaemias, lymphomas,
multiple myeloma, clotting disorders plus many more.
All of the money raised by the ladies will help improve and enhance
the wide range of treatments and services provided by the ward.
In addition to this, over £3,300 has been donated to the
Haematological ward at The Royal Liverpool Hospital in Tony's
memory.
On Sunday, 9 June 2013, in a nod to the fundraising runners, 30 members of
staff from the Royal and Broadgreen Hospitals will run the Mersey
Tunnel 10k with sponsorship going towards improving services at the
trust. |
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TRAILBLAZING
WHOLE SCHOOL SPEECH AND LANGUAGE INITIATIVE IMPROVES PUPIL OUTCOMES
AT PRIMARY
CHILDREN'S communication
charity calls for A Chance to Talk model of commissioning speech and
language support to be replicated across primary schools nationwide
A new report released by children's communication charity I CAN
demonstrates that a whole school approach to supporting children's
speech, language and communication skills can accelerate pupil
progress and increase academic performance, resulting in an average
50% increase in progress in reading skills.
Involving over 8,000 pupils aged 4 to 7 between 2010 and 2012, across
30 schools, A Chance to Talk has been developed by I CAN and The
Communication Trust, with support from the Every Child a Chance
Trust and funding from the Department for Education alongside other
sources.
Key findings from the A Chance to Talk
evaluation report include:-
1. Children with delayed language made, on average, three times the
'normal rate of progress' in language development of between nine
and 18 months after a 10 week Talk Boost intervention. Teaching
assistants are trained to deliver small group activities three times
a week, focusing on listening and attention, vocabulary, sentence
building, storytelling and conversations.
2. Up to 80% of children with
delayed language moved into the 'typical' range of language
development, helping to narrow the gap between them and their peers.
Through Talk Boost, the small group work is underpinned further with
weekly classroom activities delivered by trained teachers
benefitting all children.
3. Children with delayed language
accelerated the progress they made academically. 90% exceeded or met
the progress expected for all children of their age group in
reading, 69% in writing and 76% in numeracy.
4. Schools reported they
identified children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
earlier, made more appropriate referrals and were able to spot
previously overlooked SLCN.
5. 80% of Head teachers and NHS
Speech and Language Service Managers involved in the initiative,
gave A Chance to Talk eight out of 10 for providing a cost
effective, value for money model of commissioning.
6. 100% of parents were 'highly
satisfied' with the school based speech and language therapy
service offered under A Chance to Talk supporting children with
complex SLCN.
7. Clusters of schools sharing the
commissioning of speech and language therapy increased appropriate
referrals to NHS speech and language therapy, as schools became more
accurate in identifying the children who needed specialist
intervention, leading to more effective use of resources.
8. Children with SLCN improved
their speech, language and communication skills, found learning in
the classroom easier, and were noticeably more confident and
sociable.
9. The A Chance to Talk whole
school approach in primary schools, operating across three waves,
effectively meets the speech, language and communication needs of
all pupils, ensuring learning takes place in communication
supportive environments. Visual prompts and displays are used, staff
skillfully monitor their own language and adjust it for different
children and parents are involved with their child's learning
through 'talk' homework .
I CAN is calling for primary schools nationwide to replicate A
Chance to Talk using their downloadable guide which supports schools
to commission children's speech, language and communication
provision. This guidance encourages schools to collaborate and pool
vital resources and expertise effectively. I CAN is working to
ensure the model is embedded in Local Authorities' local offer under
the forthcoming special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
legislation; included in descriptions of outstanding teaching; and
used as part of the Pupil Premium because of the close, evidenced,
links between poor language and social disadvantage.
Edward Timpson, Minister for Children and Families, welcomes A
Chance to Talk saying:- "I'm delighted to see the positive
results from the A Chance to Talk programme that has been supported
by the Department for Education. The programme offers primary
schools ways to work together locally to meet the speech, language
and communication needs of their pupils, and to identify and support
children who are struggling. The effective deployment of NHS Speech
and Language Therapy expertise across school clusters is a key
feature of the programme, which has also had a really strong impact
on children's progress in reading."
Virginia Beardshaw, Chief Executive of I CAN says:- "A Chance
to Talk provides much needed evidence that working on spoken
language actually raises standards in reading. Greater awareness now
exists that communication is the foundation upon which pupils'
learning rests. The challenge however, has been for schools to
understand how to effectively commission speech and language support
that meets all children's needs, particularly for those with Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). With the NHS under
pressure, I CAN identified a growing need for schools to receive
advice and guidance on commissioning health services in schools.
The results from A Chance to Talk are exciting because we have
identified a strong model that works for children and their
families. Not only that, it is perceived by school staff to be cost
effective. Our downloadable commissioning guidance for schools is a
real first. It helps schools to collaborate in clusters and purchase
the services they need to raise standards. This year, I CAN is
celebrating its 125th anniversary. A Chance to Talk is an excellent
example of our continuing commitment to finding what works because
every child deserves a chance to talk."
Louisa Reeves, Speech and Language Therapist and A Chance to Talk
Project Lead for I CAN, says:- "Successful three wave models
have previously existed for children's literacy and numeracy,
however the major gap to date has been around speech, language and
communication. Given that literacy and numeracy skills are
underpinned by spoken language, this is a major omission.
In an average classroom of 30 pupils, three will have long term
persistent SLCN and 50% could be experiencing language delay. A
Chance to Talk offers effective and cost efficient school wide
provision for speech and language. Speech, language and
communication are bedrock skills; they underpin everything else -
including academic performance, behaviour at school, emotional
wellbeing and life chances."
As well as improved outcomes for children, the A Chance to Talk
model helps to develop confidence and skills across health and
education professionals. The programme is being backed by Jean
Gross, formerly the Government's Communication Champion for England.
The findings of the report come at a critical time, following the
recently published Better Communication Research Programme, which
identified the need for a three-tier model of support for children's
language; a gap which A Chance to Talk now fills.
The Talk Boost intervention for language delayed children, developed
by I CAN and The Communication Trust, has been evidenced and
developed further during the A Chance to Talk initiative, which also
included I CAN's Primary Talk programme. They are currently being
used by hundreds of schools across the country.
The I CAN commissioning guidance and A Chance to Talk evaluation
report can be
downloaded.
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