Bridlington

Hi Everyone

From today, the Bridlington Community Resource Centre Newsletter will be running a Photo of the Fortnight competition.

We want your pictures in and around Bridlington and can be of anything from the seafront to a street view. Anything.

The winner will receive a £5 Tesco Gift Card this time, the prize will change every fortnight, and a mention with a copy of the photo in the BCRC Newsletter.

Anyone who emails a picture will automatically be added to the mailing list of the newsletter (as it’s electronic) and you can enter as many times as you like, as many different newsletter issues as you like, its up to you.

So get snapping and sending!!!

The email address to send them to is bridcrc@yahoo.co.uk

Good Luck!!!

It’s the start of a brand new year here at the Bridlington Resource Centre, which therefore means new and exciting events and goings on.

 There’s a new national campaign all about helping people to face their fears and get online. The Go ON – get more out of life online campaign runs from the 17^th of January up until the 14^th of February and aims to inspire people to make going online their new year’s resolution! The UK Online centre here has events and sessions running the whole way through.

We want to give people a chance find out how the internet could help them in everyday life – from getting on at work to keeping in touch with family and friends, exploring interests to saving time and money and there is a session made for everybody!

Being online can make a huge difference to your life. Everyone can learn, no matter what your background, age or experience.

Six reasons to get online:

1. Save money – An estimated £560 can be pocketed over a year by paying bills and shopping online.
2. Save time – Many tasks are quicker and easier online – getting a tax disc, online banking, paying bills, and getting the groceries!
3. Stay in touch – The internet provides free and easy ways to keep in touch with friends and family… no matter how far away they are.
4. Find jobs – 90% of all new jobs now require IT skills, and many are now advertised and applied for online. If you have computer skills you’re more likely to find a job… and you could earn 3%-10% more too!
5. Stay up-to-date – The internet can be an instant source of news and information. You’ll find the latest TV listings, weather reports, and sports results from anywhere in the world.
6. Enjoy hobbies and interests – Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a website out there for you.

Below is the Timetable of Events:

Get Exploring – learning the internet basics

Every day (except Fridays) 10am-4pm

Keep in Touch – Skype Session

Tuesday 18^th January 10am-12pm

Social Network Workshop – Helping You Use Facebook etc

Thursday 20^th January 10am-12pm

Get on at Work – Using the Internet to Find Work

Monday 24^th January 2pm-4pm

Wednesday 26^th January 2pm-4pm

Thursday 27^th January 10am-4pm

Family History Session

Tuesday 1^st February 10am-4pm

Saving Money Session – Using the Internet to Save

Wednesday 2^nd February 10am-12pm

Saving Time Session

Thursday 3^rd February 2pm-4pm

Health

Monday 7^th February 10am-12pm

Send an E-Card for Valentines Day

Wednesday 9^th February 10am-12pm

Thursday 10^th February 2pm-4pm

There will also be a prize draw for new learners and other events going on as well as refreshments at every event.

Please pass this information on to people who you know who maybe aren’t sure how to do certain things online to those who have no clue how to use a computer. There’s a session for everyone and it’s all FREE!!!!

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when you can get away with over indulgence, and enjoy it. Undoubtedly wherever you are the alcohol will be flowing.

Please, make sure you don’t drink and drive.

It’s a fact that drink driving occurs more around the Christmas period. Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit, or of knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely. Each person’s tolerance to alcohol depends on a range of factors such as weight, age, stress and yes even gender.

So, the only safe option is not to drink alcohol if you plan to drive, and never offer an alcoholic drink to someone else who is intending to drive.

The THINK! strategy for drink driving is to remind all drivers of the personal consequences of drink driving, and that a drink driving conviction can ruin your life. They found that the long-term implications of drink driving, such as imprisonment or a criminal record, a 12 month driving ban or an endorsement that stays on your license for 11 years are much more shocking and compelling than the risk of crashing and harming themselves or others.

Their work with partners in the pub environment takes a different approach. It aims to improve the night of designated drivers by providing them with soft drink offers and other benefits during their night out. I’m a tea-totaller and have benefitted from these offers before, since I’m the designated driver on most occasions. Diet Coke all the way!

Some people may say that it’s boring not to have a drink over the Christmas period after your last day at work or a few in the pub on Christmas Eve, but then the inevitable question of “How will I get home?” and “How will I get the car home otherwise?” ensues.

Yes, taxis do cost more this time of year, but the cost is far less than what can possibly happen if you decide to take the car home yourself.

Imagine the embarrassment of having to tell people why you’re not driving. Saying you’ve been banned because you were over the limit makes you look like a total idiot and I have no qualms about saying that.

Tea-totalling on a night out isn’t boring either. I take great joy in making fun of people for their drunken antics the night before and I always have photographic evidence as most of my friends will agree (and hate me for). A hangover is far too much effort, especially on Christmas Day. Who wants to wake up on Christmas morning with the smell of dinner throughout the house and it making them sick? Where’s the fun in that?

Now, I’m not a kill-joy. I have no problem with my friends drinking, but drink driving is a serious problem.

This is a subject that is hugely close to my heart and I would hope that anyone that reads this takes into consideration that drink driving could not only ruin your life, it could cost someone else theirs.

At this time of year, it’s easy to have a lot on your mind. With Christmas shopping, sorting out family, the Christmas dinner and the weather to worry about it’s inevitable that something will be forgotten.

Many people forget about the armed forces.

The Army, the Navy, the Marines and the RAF do a challenging, important, difficult and dangerous job, which often means being away at Christmas.

This season is about family, friends and supposed to be full of joy, but think about those people who won’t be seeing their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters this year, because they’re fighting in a different country, or worse.

This is an excerpt from The Ministry of Defence website:

“As at 5 December 2010, a total of 346 British forces personnel or MOD civilians have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

Of these, 305 were killed as a result of hostile action. 41 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation. The balance of these figures may change as inquests are concluded.”

Surprisingly, the troops who are away from home are quite cheerful, despite the fact that they won’t be home to see in the New Year. The British Army has posted videos to YouTube with soldiers giving a Christmas Message to all of us back home, which gives hope and joy to so many people without their loved ones.

There’s a lot you can do to support our troops.

Help for Heroes is a charity founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded Servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

The message of the charity is simple: We are strictly non political and non critical; we simply want to help. We believe that anyone who volunteers to serve in time of war, knowing that they may risk all, is a hero. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them are living with the consequences of their service for life. We may not be able to prevent our soldiers from being wounded, but together we can help them get better.

Help for Heroes has been the target of the X Factor Finalists charity single twice. In 2008 the finalists released Hero, the Mariah Carey song, and it became the fastest selling charity single in a decade, selling an amazing 600,000 plus copies to help raise funds for the H4H Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court. This year, the finalists recorded a version of Heroes, the David Bowie hit, to help raise funds for the new Recovery Centres for our wounded heroes. It got to Number 1 in the chart in its first week of release and the single is still available to buy or download.

They do hugely important work in helping the Forces and there’s no reason why you can’t get involved too.

To see how you can help, click here to go to the Help for Heroes website.

To see the Christmas Messages done by the Armed Forces in Afghanistan, click here.

I will be visiting the Advent Beach Huts tonight on South side tonight for their tribute to the British Armed Forces. Hope to see some of you there!