Mark Crossley

In this article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-47176939regarding Terance Tiler, aged 85, Cornwall Council and Funeral Directors could not find any people who knew him so Rev Casper Bush said this was unusual so he called out to request that if anyone would like to turn up that would be appreciated so 60 strangers attended his funeral along with a local company donated 75 pasties for the wake.

Therefore this raises the question would you employ a professional mourner at your funeral?

In the UK there is a company called Rent A Mourner http://www.rentamourner.co.ukwhere they increase visitors to the funeral where numbers are expected to be low, so if this is the case would you want to do what the vicar above has done or actually pay a company instead?

Would this be what the person would want at the funeral?

This is another ethical question, for me personally I would not want anyone who did not know me to attend my funeral just to make up the numbers, this is just fake, insensitive, insincere, inappropriate, if no one turns up then I would be more than happy with this arrangement, if 1000 people turn up marvellous but the quieter the better for me.

Would you pay £45 a day for someone to turn up?

We all know that funerals can be expensive regardless of the options that you may choose so if you had 10 people turn up to increase the numbers that would cost £450 so can you justify that amount of money to employ someone who did not know the person who has passed away?

How does this work in practice?

It works similar to a vicar or someone facilitating at a funeral that may not know the person where they talk about the person who has died to learn about them, whether they worked, hobbies, interests, family in considerable detail so they can appear credible at a funeral service as if they have had some kind of connection to them.

Would a professional mourner actually speak at a funeral?

If the numbers were very low would the family then think it would be a good idea for a professional mourner to read a poem, share a story or read a bible reading if this was requested by the deceased relative.

Technically speaking a vicar or facilitator at a funeral would actually conduct part of the funeral so should this make any difference if the professional mourner would speak in some form to help the bereaved living family members.

Would a professional mourner carry the coffin into church or to that person’s final resting place?

Although I have not come across this actually happening I know I did this for my grandmother carrying her to her final resting place however the thought of allowing a non-relative to do this would seem grossly inappropriate, although having said that you employ funeral directors to do this so perhaps this would not be any different if you are employing a different kind of professional at the funeral.

Would you allow a professional mourner to visit the deceased person at the chapel of rest?

Although I have not found any evidence online of any professional mourner would actually do this it does make you wonder if a deceased person’s family would allow this to occur if they would not feel able to do it but is this going one step too far if that person does not know them to see them once they have passed away.

Would it be obvious if they turn up in pairs or three’s?

Apparently according to the online reviews it is only on very rare occasions that any other person’s attending have suspected anything and when challenge one person said the deceased person would have welcomed their presence.

What qualities do you need to be a professional mourner?

These are what official companies are looking for so if you feel you possess these then please apply.

A good memory

Improvisation

Conversational

Empathy

Versatility

Confidence

Does this occur elsewhere in the world outside the UK?

Yes, apparently this is very popular in the Middle East, African Countries, China but especially around the Ivory Coast the job is much sought after interestingly, this practice according to the New York Times dates back to 1877 however apparently this does date back to Ancient Egypt where two non-related mourners would attend funerals as representatives of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys.

Their role was to pull their hair out to bestow the energy needed for the deceased to reach the afterlife.

How extreme can professional mourners get?

There is a gentleman called Sylvester Ricardo Moss based in the USA who’s fees go along these lines however he has then created a gofundme campaign that all the money he raises will then contribute to helping disabled persons in the Bahamas, you cannot make some things up however he is unique and not many others are out there doing this.

Normal Crying - $50

Bahamian Hollering - $100

Crying and rolling on the ground - $150

Crying and threating to jump into the grave - $200

Crying and actually jumping into the grave - $1000

Would you hire a professional mourner?

In 2017, I was placed in an unfortunate position where I was looking to find a new GP surgery, therefore these recommendations and improvements come as a result of my experiences to which I hope may help other people & raise some questions or debate around these issues.

Every patient in the land should have a good named GP, that cares for them, does things for the right reasons, goes over and above to help them regardless of the pressures they are under however if a patient for whatever reason requires a change they should not be at a disadvantage and always have more than one option to register with.

What is the link to finding a GP surgery?

https://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4

Should there be an independent organisation in the NHS that can override whether a patient takes on a patient or not?

Yes, a GP surgery should not have autonomy if they should take on a patient, there should be an independent system within the NHS that can overrule any decision the GP practice makes.

Are GP surgeries currently taking on patients should be question on the search function?

We need to empower GP practice managers more to be able to update information on the NHS Choices website as well as this is updated regularly as to if GP surgeries website if are currently taking on patients or not would be most helpful.  

Once a person puts in their home postcode instead of a list of surgeries coming up which this does happen, a person has to call each one up individually or look on the GP website, this system makes it easier for the patient and also saves time for GP surgeries to answer questions from potential patients therefore this is a win-win situation.

Will GP surgeries take on out of area patients?

This should be clearly on both NHS choices website, CCG (Clinical Commissioning Groups and GP websites) if they are taking on an out of area patient and to what geographical radius.

We should never again be placed with a situation where a patient has to ask NHS England, Primary Care Service England (The organisation that holds your clinical notes, the administrative function of NHS England) or the CCG to allocate a patient a surgery, if these changes are immediately made on NHS Choices website then we empower patients to be able to have patient choice, the issue why a patient may have to go to a surgery out of area is if they live in a small village that all nearby GP surgeries are either out of geographical catchment area or they are between different counties.

Are GP surgeries taking on patients within certain postcodes or out of area patients placed on their own websites?

All patients should have options to register with at least one other GP surgery within a 7 miles radius of where they live, there should be no situation ever again where this should not occur again in practice regardless of where they live in the country so we need to ensure in practice this occurs within the current rules and regulations.

NHS England and each CCG should undertake a robust research project into this matter so no patient (s) are ever at a disadvantage especially rural areas or small villages.

Please check your current postcode, look at what other GP surgeries are available locally but in practice should you for whatever reason need to change then you can do easily, it is different if you move areas but if you remain in the same area you need to check you have options available to you.

We need to look at how many GP surgeries are removing patients from their practice lists, what these reasons are especially if they relate to the protected characteristic of the Equality Act 2010, ultimately a patient needs a GP so if a GP forces someone out they have to go somewhere so this should always be as local as to where they live without inconveniencing the patient.

Formal agreements with neighbouring CCG's

I live within 3 counties, West Leicestershire CCG along with NHS England has promised that they will make changes so our local GP surgery however they have failed since 2016 (please email me [email protected] you want to know where this is) so all residents will have to now register at either Lister House GP surgery in Derby or indeed Nottingham NEMS unless the CCG are kind enough to allocate them a different GP surgery, they have promised Andrew Bridgen MP this would be changed however they have done nothing at all to change this.

We need to ensure that vulnerable patients are not further disadvantaged, a formal audit needs to occur across the land with the utmost urgency, I would voluntarily do this in order to help others from being placed in a similar position I have faced.

Review of all Violent Patient Services

We need to review nationally all patients who have been put on these violent patient service lists intentionally looking at the underlying reasons and if the lack of where they can move onto after a surgery has removed is a reason then we need to look at if any current or historic cases should be quashed.

A person if they are removed from a GP surgery should always have a GP surgery to move onto, if they are accused of threatening a GP then the allegations need to be immediately specified to the patient as well as better processes around this but if the relationship has broken down then there should be legal and statutory duty to ensure they have one to immediately register with, a full subject access of their clinical notes are given automatically as well as raft of other measures.

Nearest violent patient service

We should deliberately place the location of the surgery on this website including the address so when people search for a doctor, dentist etc this is visible so patients are aware, may ask questions, think about their own contact with clinicians etc.

We need on all searches when looking for NHS services a full information pack on what qualifies a person for this as well as a person should not be able to register at a doctors or dentist for example unless they sign to say that they fully understand this along with detailed processes that are involved should this ever be required by a clinician.

Names of staff and organisations who have referred patients

We need to have statistics of which doctors, NHS services have referred patients to the scheme so the public are aware and can factor this into account when they go to receive clinical services.

Benefits. Can I claim to go to the doctors?

We should be clear you are not able to claim to go to the doctors any travel expenses so patients are aware, this is very important if a person has to travel that money is not a reason or the lack of it to place someone at a disadvantage.

National consultation

We need to have a national consultation to see what patients want to see on this website starting immediately including the above points.

Full audit of all GP surgeries

I would like a full audit to occur of all GP surgeries in England and Wales so GP surgeries who remove patients will find out how difficult it is to find a new GP surgery, the significant amount of stress involved in this matter, how others in the system can be difficult, obstruct that process or could easily trap vulnerable adults.

This is in the public interest to then ensure that we ensure patients are better treated around these matters, lessons are learnt otherwise this could if this is not handled properly lead to a serious untowards incident (SUI) or maybe suicide, this can be fatal if the patient cannot access the medication they require so these processes need to be more robustly monitored and NHS Choices is one avenue to ensure this can occur.

I hope this blog is of interest to others for public discussion.

John 14 v 2 & 3 says “My fathers house has many rooms, if that were not so, would I told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also maybe where I am”.

Jesus prepares an earthly home for us however when we go to be with the Lord in Heaven then he has prepared a final resting place here on earth in the form of a cemetery but also in Heaven.

In 2013, my grandfather died aged 93, my grandmother then in her 90’s decided that she wanted to visit my grandfather in the chapel of rest, I said, of course I will take you, you can go in and then we can go for something to eat however this did not transpire this way we both ended up going to see him together in order to support her as she was very frail.

When my grandmother then died aged 96, after I had been through this unique experience once I went to see my grandmother twice in fact, during the time, I held her hand, played some music on my phone before I notified her that I would be speaking at the funeral and carrying her to her final resting place to be re-united with my grandfather again.

Here are a couple of useful questions you may like answering:

How did I feel the first time I went to see someone who had passed away?

I was very nervous and did not want to do it, the place where my grandfather was taken had the same name as my grandparent’s, it is one of those situations where do you want to remember the person when they were alive or should you go to help with the grieving process, my thoughts were that I had seen my grandfather most weeks every year for my adult life including up to the final hours he was alive, then once he had passed away we went to see him in the MacMillan Unit but there was a period of time since we last saw him in hospital to the chapel of rest where this time he was in his coffin, of course, at the funeral we know he would be in there but the experience to see someone before then is quite unusual, he actually looked quite well as he was not well before passing.

How did I feel after the first time when I had been to the chapel of rest?

As I held my grandfathers hand, gave him a kiss on the forehead with my grandmother present, I felt this helped with me with closure on a human level this would be the last time I would see him alive, this would help with going to the funeral and then the grieving process, as hard as this was it was the right thing for me to do but may not be right for everyone.

How did this make me feel when I visited my grandmother?

In a sense this made it easier after my grandmother wanted me to go with her I actually went twice to see her in the chapel of rest, this is something I felt I should do, the funeral directors were more than happy to allow me to do this so these are special moments you will never have the chance to do again so you must make the most of it if you are going to do it, tell them you love them, you will be re-united again in heaven one day and give them a final kiss goodbye.

What songs could you play at the chapel rest quietly?

Although I never played these songs “Fields of Gold” and “Jealous of the Angels” I did play songs we listened to whist watching BBC Songs of Praise on Sundays.

What does it feel like when you touch someone who has died and is this morbid?

You have to remember you touched them when they were alive so once they have gone spiritually to the next realm they are still there in body, they are cold because they have stopped breathing but they are your loved one so I remember then when they are alive and also once they have passed, it can be very difficult to see them there unresponsive of course however we have to remember this will be us one day and one would hope that our living relatives may come to see us at the chapel of rest.

What should be the youngest age to take someone to a chapel of rest?

This can be a very difficult decision however a suggested age could be 14, this could lead to psychological upset, distress or trauma, this is based upon each person and the emotional stage they are at.

Each person must decide in their own heart based on the relationship with that person, what their wishes would be, the emotional impacts on the surviving relatives but this for me is something I feel is a lovely tribute to do for a loved one.

Hope this is helpful to reflect upon.

Anatole France"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened”  

As a child I had two lovely rabbits with the creative names Blackberry and Bluebelle, however that aside we had a reasonably sized cage and hut for them, we had them for many years before they went onto the next world giving us many happy memories during this period.

However as I age in years, I often wonder now or then if I were to be an animal owner again would I do anything different and the answer for me on a personal level is an undeniable yes, here is what I would do.

I would buy the smallest, cutest rabbits as close to birth as possible, two in fact, along with a couple of guinea pigs so I can enjoy watching them grow, I would not want huge rabbits but just medium sized ones similar to those to which I had as a child.

I like to do things differently to other people, you may have noticed so here is what I would do in order to treat them as a King or Queen for their life:

Hut: I would want to research what the largest, luxury huts there are on the market and then have a bespoke hut designs for them, this maybe be a historic landmark, multi-storey set up, a bungalow but in their bedding area that needs clearing out state of the art for ease that you can empty what needs to be emptied and the ability to then top this up with new bedding, food etc.

I would want to have artificial grassing area but to then give them natural grass etc so they are healthy animals, to have the best food but not that they are overweight.

I would want to have the best accessories that are available on the market for them to play with.

What animals do you have?

What would you do if money is not an issue to provide them with the most luxurious and enhanced quality of life?

Would you buy ready made or commission bespoke pent accessories?

It is my opinion that if you have animals you should give them the very best of what is available however caring for animals means that they are healthy animals, not overweight, receive regular healthcare check-ups but then can have the best living conditions available.

It is notorious that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, in today’s world Amsterdam is one of the most famous red light district’s to which many go on stag dos and weekend breaks.

Should we have an official red light district similar to what Amsterdam has?

In the UK there are so many houses, massage parlours, escorts, strip clubs that operate legally and illegally in various venues across the land however in 2016 Leeds decided to have a ‘prostitution tolerance zone’ to which is a good idea but should we go one step further like Amsterdam has and have the famous red windows in one of our cities in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/a4aa5e2d-406b-44ca-9002-8543291d2dbb

What does the law say on prostitution in the UK?

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/part/1/crossheading/exploitation-of-prostitution

What support is there for prostitutes in the UK?

There are organisations such as http://www.streetlight.uk.comhowever there are quite a number of other ones that will support the working girls around the various issues that they face such as debt, drink, drugs, housing and mental health.

Would this bring in tourism like Amsterdam has?

If we look at the model that Amsterdam has then this surely brings in lots of tourism, people will go there as a focus but will do other things as well so this could be advantageous if we had one city like Leeds but to allow the working girls a safe place to work, they can have a licence to work, they pay their taxes and earn a legitimate income if this is the way they want to make money knowing there are support organisations out there and this is therefore better controlled by the authorities, there will always be girls who will want to work in this profession as well as punters for whatever reason that want to use their services.

A national debate should happen in the UK about whether we should be having better ‘prostitution controlled zones’ in the UK along with an official red light district so we can eradicate illegal prostitution, this is more legal where the authorities know where this is happening and can be more tightly regulated until there is no more demand for these services. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Christmas Day 2017 changed the way we decided as a family spent Christmas Day, those to whom do not have any family or anywhere to go on we serve them a meal, eat with them, then we have a raffle, give them a gift to leave with and our guests have one of the best Christmas’s they have ever had.

What were you doing on Christmas Day in 2018 and what will you be doing on Christmas Day 2019?

It says in Luke 6 v 38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”.

It is like platforms such as https://www.premierchristianradio.com/Christmas2/Christmas-Alone, so many people are alone at Christmas so if we can be promoting such websites like this getting more and more churches and community groups to set these up we can help the hundreds of people that would just normally sit at home, it is not the benefits on this day for the 5 hours they spend it is the few weeks and months afterwards with the hope that this will happen the following year.

There are so many rich people in the world yet these kinds of events do not happen as much as one would expect therefore on that basis it would be nice if those who have been blessed with money and wealth would actually fund an event and then recruit the volunteers to put this on annually on this special day.

What is the best Christmas Day event there is in the UK or worldwide that can be replicated around the world that we can share with others to get some inspiration?

I sincerely hope that anyone who has an interest in these kinds of events will now as a matter of urgency at the start of the new year consider what you can offer so later in the year you can start planning and then putting on such an event.

It would be good if in each town and city in England and Wales there could be at least one event that brings in at least 30 people.

Lord, I pray you would raise up volunteers who are willing to put on such events, anyone who needs to be served by others you would make them aware so both parties benefit from this special day, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Football clubs now are taking on a more stringent no signing policy for fans, in the link below gives the example of Liverpool Football Club so perhaps is this time to look again at whether football clubs should be changing their approach on this particular subject.

https://www.givemesport.com/1102964-liverpool-fans-furious-with-the-clubs-policy-regarding-players-signing-autographs

Each football club with the FA should have a national policy more on this matter that is placed onto every club’s website but have annual reviews of this matter if this can be managed better or differently.

Here are some questions and answers we will look at in a little more details so I hope that this helps in discussion items around this issue of autographs for football fans.

I’m holding a charity fundraising event, would it be possible to get a signed item?

All football clubs should have a mechanism that they can buy a signed photo of the team for a fee if this falls outside of the clubs nominated charities so the football club benefits but also the charity will if they are fundraising so if it was say £5 and this goes for arguments sake £25 then everyone benefits from this kind of system.

Would it be possible to send an item to the Club for the players to sign?

Each football club should on at least a monthly basis perhaps on a Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4pm have a signing and selfie sessions so if fans want to ask the team to sign items then this would be the best way to do this in person however if people for example have a disability and find it hard to get in then the club should try and ensure that when these signing sessions take place a proportion of the merchandise can be sent to those people.

If footballers are paid huge salaries how much of their time outside of playing for the club or training should they dedicate to fans on such matters?

This is something that should be discussed nationally what a reasonable time period should be given a footballer despite huge salaries should have a work-life balance.

Can a player attend a charity event?

Each club should offer a number of in-person charity events a year so whether this is with the nominated charities they support for example then this is clearly and visibly made clear on the football clubs website with event dates.

Could you please send me some Club Souvenirs?

I would like to see more frequently clubs will allocate a percentage of their turnover to ‘giving back’ with a breakdown of where this has gone throughout the year so the public or their fans can see but with an emphasis where people maybe on very low income for example and money is quite an issue something to make their day.

It would be good to have a charity of the month for example with a budget allowance so as many charities could benefit from club souvenirs possibly with options like 12 days of Christmas to give more souvenirs out to make things more unique how gifts are donated.

It would be good when it is a fans birthday to send them an e-card with special greetings messages from the club.

Am I allowed to come to the Training Centre to get items signed?

Clubs should make it very clear that this is not the time or the place for players to be signing autographs, they are there to train for the games and therefore should have clear times placed on their websites and on social media when the players will sign autographs and merchandise.

Should the club have policies for businesses making money out of autographs?

Yes, ideally this should be for charities only to be able to sell these to make money and for fans to have in their personal collections, although football is a money-making business these things should be seen as something to cherish and appreciate obtaining it directly from the source personally than via any other method.

Should there be guidance of what autographs if placed onto the open marker should be sold for?

Yes, we have this for cars for example so why not have this for football autographs.

Should football clubs look for copies, re-prints, fakes and forgeries on auction websites?

Yes, auction websites should work with the FA to eradicate these so only genuine autographs and signatures are available, to perhaps number these or have a mechanism to then verify these moving forward that makes it harder to copy, a hall, kite mark, hologram or something of that nature would be better.

My friend/family member is getting married would it be possible to get a signed shirt for them?

Clubs may well receive a high volume of requests for this so each month what should happen is a select number of letters are given a number, the club like a lottery will pick a certain amount out, place this being filmed on the club website so a letter of congratulations can be offered but a number of video messages can be played at the wedding or to have throughout the year a number of surprise attendances at a wedding.

My friend/family member is unwell would it be possible to get a signed item for them as a get well gift?

The club should have criteria so perhaps certain illnesses if this is life threatening for example would receive a get well letter from the club or if there is a supporter for example that hands out match day programs and are known to the club then these can be given out but the club could put on social media get well messages each week mentioning letters they have received so people at least get a mention from the club as a bulk item signed by the players.

My friend/family member has sadly passed away, would it be possible to get a signed shirt for their funeral?

The club but once a year the chaplain to the club should put on a service of remembrance at the club for their relatives should offer a letter of condolence.

It’s my friend/family members’ birthday, would it be possible to get a card for them signed by all the players?

All clubs in the UK should have a lottery system so each month they would sign a number of cards so if your name is drawn then you can receive a signed card.

The club for milestone birthdays of 90, 100 and over 100 offer special cards or letters of congratulations, as people are living longer this reduces the clubs administration on this matter.

How do we become a Club Charity partner?

Each club should make it very clear on their website how to become a partner however I would like to see the club having monthly partners that change each month in order that more charities can benefit from having signed merchandise and contact from their local club.

Should football clubs have an annual limit to the amount of autographs they send out?

Recently, the late George H W Bush funeral was broadcasted all over the world, okay, he was a former President of the United States of America and this is very traditional for such public figures for this to occur but what about for our loved ones so relatives have a memory of the final service.

There is such a thing as funeral videographers however in the United Kingdom there are very few providers that offer this kind of service however should funeral directors or indeed anyone who officiates at a funeral service offer this for relatives as part of the departing of a loved one moving forward to change the way services are offered to loved ones, there are few certainties in life, we are born, there will be lots up ups and downs along the way but then we die.

Here are a couple of reasons why we may wish to have a video of the funeral service however should:

For family and friends who cannot attend the service in person

Due to one reason or another, whether this is distance, illness, travel restrictions, cost, time, emotional distress, sock, serving in the armed forces, work or other commitments.

Preserve the memories of your loved one forever

Share the memories of your loved one with future generations – your children and your children’s children, to let them know, who grandma or grandpa was and how much they were loved by others.

Hear and see, as often as you want, beautiful testimonials from family and friends.

Helps in the healing process

Even though you may not be able to view the video or listen to the audio immediately, months or years down the road you will be able to watch the video and by realizing how much your loved one was loved by others, and the positive influence they be comforted had on so many people’s lives.

Experience the service in the privacy of your own home, by yourself or with other family members, at any time you choose.

Experience the service after you’ve had time to rest and rejuvenate from all the stress, numbness, and emotion, experienced while preparing for the funeral as well as the funeral day itself.

See and hear portions of the service that you may not have been able to experience on that day (i.e. you had to leave the room due to overwhelming emotion, or needed to tend to a child, or were feeling ill, or simply couldn’t hear or see the speakers, etc.)

Share the service with friends and family around the world over the internet within 24 hours of the end of the service.

There of course should be guidelines of how funerals should be filmed for discretion, privacy and the ability to grieve however should this concept be developed further and expanded considering some of the above areas of interest in this matter?

In 2018, there was an opportunity to visit East Midlands Airport to participate in their carol service, there was free parking as parking at the airport so this was the thing that changed my mind about attending or not as the case may have been.

As part of the experience we were given the chance to visit the chaplaincy office at the airport following singing carols to passengers going on their vacation, for one moment I was hoping that they would say have you brought your passports we are going to Lapland, unfortunately not, wishful thinking on my part I suppose but maybe next year !!!  

We have been to many airports around the world over a number of decades, as much as I attend church never has it really crossed my minds about the role of chaplaincy at airports or indeed maybe if they have such services but are they really up-to-date with the modern times?

The international overarching body for chaplaincy is called the IACAC, you can check out there website here - https://www.iacac.info/united-kingdom.  

I would like to see a webpage for each chaplaincy page on international airports that in affect are very similar, streamlined of what services they offer, if churches have an interest in airport chaplaincy or are involved in this then we should aim to influence how this is undertaken as a project for the up and coming year ahead along with awards for websites that can come up with innovative solutions of how they can make their services known more.

Questions we should be asking chaplaincy teams are:

How many people actually know where the chaplaincy is at the airport and actually visit this before a flight?

How many people know what the role of a chaplain is at an airport?

How innovative can the chaplaincy team really be moving forward to engage with people?

How can you add value to the airport in person ministry but also online presence?

Could you win team of the month, year at the airport or external awards such as Premier Christian Awards?

What do other airports in the UK and Worldwide offer in terms of services and what does their online presence look like?  

UK Airports

Manchester Airport

http://www.thechaplaincy-manchesterairport.co.uk

http://www.thechaplaincy-manchesterairport.co.uk/meet-the-team

Features: Meet the team, Our role, our mission statement, teams we work with, meetings we attend and services we offer, social media platforms used.

Gatwick Airport

https://gatwickairportchapel.org/wordpress/?page_id=53

Features: Blogs, What you offer? Chaplains biographies with direct phone numbers and email addresses.

Birmingham Airport

https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/at-the-airport/terminal-facilities/the-multi-faith-prayer-room/

Features: Prayer times. Have you got chaplains that represents every faith regarding passengers travelling through the airport and if not, why not?

How many chaplains are multilingual for example?

International Airports

Schiphol Airport

https://www.aam-schiphol.nl/index.php/en/schiphol-airport-chaplaincy

Features: Annual report, Newsletter. How interesting can you make newsletters to be placed online working with the airport communications team and in terms of annual reports how open, honest, interesting and transparent can you be with annual reports so the public and airport management can read each year looking at what other airports produce to lead the way in every area of your work?

Charlotte Douglas Airport

https://cltairportchapel.org/

Features: Sunday or mid week services for staff, photos so every opportunity you get photos with passengers, staff or maybe celebrities passing through the airport, be proactive create an Instagram page so others can see you at work in pictures.

Can you provide prayer sessions at airport board meetings etc and should you list where these take place at the airport?

DFW Airport

http://www.dfwairportchapel.org/

Features: Facebook page, chapel services for employees, civil wedding ceremony or blessings, Local events, prayer breakfast, photos praying with pilots etc, make a donation page is interesting. Newsworthy including blogs and youtube videos.

Vancover Airport

http://www.yvrchaplaincy.org/our-team.html

FAQ, Meet our team.

International articles and local press

We need to see stories of what has happened at East Midlands Airport but also at other airports within the life of the chaplaincy placing this more on the website and social media so they break down barriers between them and their clients.  

What publicity internally and externally have you done in the past and is 2019 the year to be radically different? What historic publicity can you place online?

Cheesy flying jokes and lines incorporated into articles would be good for example. How creative are you all?

Can airports commission their local newspapers, radio and TV crew to follow you around for an hour so the public at large can look at the work you do from a unique perspective around the airport as chaplaincy in this setting is much different to other settings?

Could you commission a mini documentary on the role of the chaplaincy with the airport commination’s team for example to place on the airport website and social media platforms?

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/business/the-airport-chaplain-now-offering-earthly-aid.html

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2013/11/26/airport-chaplains-let-fliers-connect-with-heavens/3755545/

Here are a couple of other items that could be of interest for airport chaplaincy teams to consider how they go about their work and how you can encourage them to use these different forums to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in their workplace:

Christian Gift Shop: These do exist in our towns and cities across the country however everything is now going online more and more but it would be interesting to look at whether any international airport has ever had a Christian Gift Shop in their airport but as this is a business does this ever make money or break even? Is this a viable option within this kind of setting as thousands of visitors do travel through airports annually, if planes are delayed they may well visit the shop and purchase something if they are bored or have nothing else to occupy their time?

Local artists singing:With security arrangements as they are how viable is this periodically if local Christian groups as this occurs within prisons, nursing homes etc were to play either in the terminal entrance or in the departure halls on a rotational basis throughout the year, could this be a useful evangelistic way of engaging with the public at large.

Posters: Drinkaware, Samaritans all have posters in the airport as forms of help or support so should the chaplaincy be having forms in similar areas?

Fear of flying courses: Everything now seems to be online however is there a need for a chaplaincy team with a flight simulator to be able to put these courses on again more in person?

Text a chaplain: Everywhere these days has a text someone, if someone is nervous before flying, they can text a number and you can send a prayer back to the passenger depending upon the times of the day or if the airport chaplaincy are in they could go and speak to the person wherever they are.

Live Chat: If a person is in the airport but does not want to speak to someone if the chaplains are on duty they could live chat with a person and then pray online, there are many online Christian chatlines now available so

Airlines: This could be a little more radical however if airlines like Ryanair travel from East Midlands Airport for example could they put a link on their website to the chaplaincy page so if passengers did want to speak someone they could make contact to promote the work you do for example.

Young Interns: Many church dioceses especially the Church of England have young interns so starting with East Midlands Airport could you trial a young leaders program in an airport setting if this does not occur already, maybe using some of the airport training as contractors may do to develop this scheme further, this can raise up a new generation of airport chaplains worldwide and not limit internships or discipleship years just to the confines of the local church but is done on a wider level.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for the work of chaplains in the context of an airport, if your people are or maybe interested in this kind of work please by your holy spirit take this ministry to a new level we pray. Amen.

In terms of two great lists of where you may wish to look for ideas of whom to search to then request an autograph are in the new years honours and Britain’s rich list.

The only way that you can obtain an autograph is overall to hope they have a website or an agent unless of course you are lucky enough to meet them in person so in the hope they do have an email address or a website then there are some tips you can use, simple but can be effective in increasing your collection, there are lots of different avenues and techniques you can use these are just a few I have used.

New Years Honours List

They are published on this website https://www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-listsand usually announced in December annually.

It is worth typing into any credible search engine new years honours lists, whist this does include many ordinary members of the public this does contain names of many celebrities and well known public faces.

Ebay

Ebay is a good way to sell your autographs or indeed buy autographs of your favourite celebrities, you just have to be mindful of fakes, copies and reprints.

However if you take the view you would like to write to the celebrity yourself and ask them directly this for me is more satisfying.

If you type in “autobiographies” “autogrpahs” into the search function then this again will give you some ideas you may not have thought of especially if they have not been in the limelight for a period of time but still well known for something.

Celebrity Agents

If you type into any credible search engine “celebrity agents” a number of options will come up, simply contact each of their agents, many may send a number of free autographs however you may have to send a self-addressed envelope.

Britain’s Rich List

In May each year in the Sunday Times they publish Britain’s rich list in a number of categories in a full paperback edition so it is worth looking in the shops around this time, the last one was available on the 13thMay 2018 so this can give you some ideas for celebrities across a range of different sectors to which you may wish to write to.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Times_Rich_List

Wikipedia        

The TV show Dragons Den can be used https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragons%27_Den_(UK_TV_programme) where this states the dragons that have appeared on all of the series so you can simply type in their name to a search engine and hopefully you will find their contact details.

Google

One idea that I often do is if I am watching television, Noel Edmunds was on I’m a celebrity get me out of here, so I type in his name, there it states people also searched for and 15 other names come up, this again is a very easy way to generate some ideas for whom to write to.

I sincerely hope that when you are looking at sources at increasing your autograph collection these few ideas maybe of some benefit to you, good luck with your hobby in collecting autographs.  

This year for me I did something a little different, in previous years I had gone with my elderly grandmother to visit my grandfather around Christmas time however now my grandmother has since been reunited with my grandfather I wondered what else I could do around this festive period.

This random thought came into my mind, as my grandmother was on end of life care I used to play her songs very quietly as she was departing this world into the next, I had been to see her at the chapel of rest, played some songs there before we took her to her final resting place, we have annually bought something to put on the Christmas tree in memory of the grandparents each year.

For many, Christmas can be a difficult time when loved ones have passed away but for me going with my grandmother to the cemetery to visit my grandfather was never a morbid affair so this year my thoughts changed I started to play the song ‘Jealous of the Angels’ by Donna Taggart, followed by a number of carols that my grandparents liked on my phone on loud speaker but not too loud so their neighbours could hear this too.

John 14:2-3 “2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”.

We shared many Christmas with the grandparents on earth, both had a faith in God and on that basis other believers and non-believers could around Christmas time instead of taking flowers that in affect just die off, cry or just sit there for a period of time take your mobile phone and just start with the opening song ‘Jealous of the Angels” followed by a number of Christmas carols maybe a nice way to visit your loved ones at their final resting place so in future years is this something you would consider doing having a mini Christmas Carol Service for them?

If you visit relatives on a regular basis perhaps you could just play some songs quietly on your phone as you visit their final resting place.

All cemeteries pay fees for the person to be buried there so at Christmas time perhaps it would be nice if those who manage the cemetery could erect a Christmas Tree, place some decorations in the trees, something for just a couple of weeks or a local vicar could hold a short service for loved ones buried at the cemetery as a way forward to transform the way we remember our relatives at this festive season who have moved onto the next world where we will join them one day.

Should local clergy trial this and see what kind of demand there is for this?

Could local street pastors perhaps put on a service as a way of ministering to others?

What do you think to these ideas?  

In the media at the moment there is so much debate about gender neutral, gender fluid however as far as I am concerned there is nothing biblical that states that if prayer is offered in church this should be either with the same or opposite sex but is down to how each denomination decides this should operate in practice.  Does everyone agree with this?

The general consensus is that these days it is more common and traditional when praying for others this is the same sex but should this be the way this should be in 2018/2019 moving forward?

Should there be a national debate on this subject as well as within local church leadership meetings creating better policies and procedures around this issue and if the rules should be more relaxed, rather than the gender of the person it should be if you feel comfortable with a person to ask you to pray for them instead?

Should churches put policies around this matter more and more on their websites so people know what the correct protocol is rather than this is decided when prayer training is given to those in this ministry?

Prayer is mentioned depending upon which source you look at up to 650 times so it is an important issue but nothing specifically in the context of adult prayer ministry in church services.

Couples who are married pray together so what difference if it is only offering prayer, it is not a sexual or a dating encounter it is a spiritual experience encountering God so surely God can use any gender to minister to another person so perhaps the rules should be more flexible unless credible explanations can be given as to why this cannot be possible, again if this is about male or female issues again if couples are dating these matters are discussed, in clinical professional settings then this is not always the same sex, quite often it can be a combination so perhaps there should be more discussions around this matter, it is who you feel comfortable with rather than the actual gender of the person.

Recently I went out with my best friend into Sheffield, South Yorkshire for Christmas Eve 2018, imagine Sheffield, South Yorkshire, very quiet mid to late evening, it is freezing cold and we are just inundated by rough sleepers asking us for money so this just got me thinking of this issue even more if in 2019 this can be managed differently so here are a few ideas that I have not seen occur on this issue.

We need to be clear there is a lot of information in the public domain about this matter, governments create laws and strategies, voluntary sector etc all try their best to come up with solutions and resolutions, there is no easy answer, drug, alcohol and mental health issues can be underlying issues along with more sensitive matters such as domestic violence but it is trying to see what the response is to these and if these specific ideas have been tried and tested before but people are still on our streets regardless of targets set.

Quotes to reflect upon:

Jan Schakowsky“There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help”.

Mike Binder “The holidays are a rough time for the homeless, but it's a year-round problem we have to solve”.

Linda Lingle“We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that we just can't solve”. 

Raheem DeVaughn “We live in a world where there is so much wealth. There shouldn't be a homeless person, That's crazy”.

Official rough sleeper tolerance zones

In 2016 Leeds launched ‘a prostitution tolerance zone’ so this made me think why each major city in England does not have this approach more for rough sleepers and homelessness so should we have better controlled zones that we tolerate this because it is an issue in our country, like prostitution it exists, regardless what we think about it is better to know where people are than this goes underground and we do not help the very people that need the help, no one is left not helped to a better future.

However there should be clearly identified official rough sleeper zones that can be placed on statutory services websites and on local social media.

We should have official zones like on the London Underground where if people have a talent they can busk or ask for money so this is contained in one or a few areas that can be managed better instead of this is all over our towns or cities, we could have official hours you can beg in official zones so this is more regulated.

Posters in ‘non-official rough sleeper tolerance zones’

with better reporting mechanisms

We need to have areas in our town centres that are ‘non-official rough sleeping tolerance zones’ that are more robustly enforced maybe by street pastors for example, if seen begging you can be arrested by the police so in well known hot spots we should have official posters placed in such areas such as by some cash machines, entrances to shopping areas, train stations where there are volume numbers of people passing by that make it clear this is not acceptable.  

We need to have easier mechanisms to be able to be able to report rough sleepers who are causing anti-sociable behaviour through apps that can be placed on posters in well-known hot spots.

Sleeping Pods

In the photo and links below you will see various sleeping pods so why can’t this concept be transferred to rough sleeping, whilst it maybe easier to have people sleep in hostels for the night this may not necessarily be possible so by creating outside sleeping pods if people cannot find the money to get a nights stay then we should be looking at how these could be placed around the towns and cities.

These could be seen as a step up from sleeping on the streets but in-between this option and a hostel that would have showers for example.

We should be looking at how much this costs airports to purchase these pod with the manufacturers what the cheapest possible price for a reasonably priced pod could be to transport into designated areas in our towns and cities, then the local authority could perhaps incorporate and allocate a certain amount of money to manage the scheme as a multi-agency referral approach for example.

Here are some examples of sleeping pods available around the world:

https://avjetnews.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/free-sleeping-pods-for-passengers-of-delayedcancelled-flight-in-hanoi-airport/

https://www.quick-garden.co.uk/camping-pod-bretagne-300x300-30mm-1.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAjZLhBRCAARIsAFHWpbFVbOIkPLXW6tBGC91ttRabPAM-jlCdWd0syqIZxNHIDitxbQVdHtMaAqzREALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5731711/Breathe-Space-saving-hotel-offers-1-2m-wide-sleeping-pods.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-596251/The-Crafty-Traveller-A-decent-nights-sleep--163-25.html

We can have crowd funding websites so if a church for example has a sleeping pod they can be sponsored to house someone, if this is in the town centre it could be the local authority will manage the fundraising page with stringent financial audits into ensuring the money goes directly to the people it should do.

The amount of units could be done on a trial version to start with to see what the demand is for them, how lottery funding, grants can be used to part or fully fund such an idea.

There are strict rules if a person stays in a shelter for example and the same should therefore apply with this set up, the person should sign a code of conduct:  

Instead of asking people to beg or raise money if we could have schemes available that they could perhaps sell the Big Issue to contribute to the nights stay, volunteer centres will find them a role in order to give them a purpose or as when I was in Manchester recently one gentleman had set up a self-employment business selling joke books so trying to find initiatives that can be a win-win situation.

A crowd funding page for each city can be set up and managed by the local authorities homeless team so its legitimate and adheres to fundraising regulations.

Role of the church

James 2:15-16 “Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!” – if you don’t give them the necessities of life?”

The role of the church is to have a heart for the poor, often churches participate in food banks, outreach delivering food to the poor on the streets so with organisations like Christians Against Poverty if funding is offered for a number of pods in each city then what difference would this make one life at a time, the church may not be able to solve the problem but it most certainly can do more to help the most vulnerable.

Churches and religious organisations should be sponsoring these outside of their premises so on a first come first served basis, it could be on a ticket system if your number is called people can queue up and then you get a nights stay, it does not matter what system is put in place a church instead of having a night shelter every year for a couple of months could offer something all year round.

What can your church do in terms of providing accommodation and shelter for rough sleepers in your towns and cities?

How practical is it to house rough sleepers in your church overnight or give them some warmth in the day with unlimited tea and coffee for some or all of the day not just in the winter period?

Closing prayer: Lord we pray for the situation of rough sleeping, we pray your grace, love, mercy and generosity will stir people into action to find more radical solutions to these issues to end rough sleeping once and for all, in Jesus Name, Amen.

What does everyone think to these ideas?

27thDecember 2018

There is a new website in the United Kingdom called https://www.haircuts4homeless.com, the purpose behind this is “a community of hairdressers who just give a few hours each month to give haircuts for homeless people”.

How can churches partner with this initiative?

It says in Matthew 10 v 30 “ And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered”  

There are certain practical things on a natural level we all need, one of which is a haircut.

God knows each person inside out and even knows how many hairs on our head, he knows us that well.

God calls some to be professional hairdressers, He has a heart and compassion for the poor so perhaps we could be combining these skills to help the most destitute in our society so here are a couple of ways in which the church and society could be helping in this matter more.

FREE haircuts once a month

I would like to see city and town centre churches in England and Wales offering a free haircut once a month to local homeless people so if there are any hairdressers that attend city centre churches could offer this service, this could be offered as part of a churches together scheme hosted by a particular church each month on a rotational basis for a set amount of hours but to advertise this on the above website so this adds to the amount of towns and cities this service is available.

Internship and discipleship years

It would be great to see the church partnership with local hairdressing academies so if any congregational members in the week are training to be hairdressers but have a faith then an integrated program could be offered so a person spends a couple of days training to be a hairdresser then once they are at a certain standard as part of their training they could evangelise cutting hair gaining experience for local homeless people.

Clergy with hairdressing experience

It would be interesting to know if any hairdressers have actually transferred to become a vicar, minister or a pastor could use their industry knowledge with their training they have a dual use of duties that can be of benefit to the church and to their local community.

Acts of kindness days

Many churches on random days annually will offer acts of kindness so instead of giving out chocolates for example may consider this as a service even if this is only annually.

How can the rest of society help?

Hairdressing training colleges

It would be great for every hairdressing training college in England and Wales but also internationally as part of a persons training to give a certain amount of hours once suitably qualified to helping homeless people by offering a free haircut to gain clients and then carry this on into their professional career so the more hairdressers involved can ensure that no person is left out for the duration to which they are homeless.

It would be great to have more initiatives to sponsor a certain amount of homeless people to become hairdressers each year to have some success stories.

Armed Forces

It is widely known that once a person is released from the armed forces they can become homeless so it would be good if we could make the website known to all charities that work with the Armed Forces once they are released from their service so should this become a necessary requirement although one hopes that they can be reintegrated back into society they are aware of the website.

Job Centre Plus

Job Centre Plus should be made aware of this service, many people who are on benefits can become homeless if they cannot pay their rent so it would be really good to see posters on this service in local Job Centres so in the unlikely event they are homeless they are at least aware they can tap into this if required.

Bailiffs

It is now so common with series on TV such as “Can’t pay, we will take it away?” we see all too often enforcement officers from the High Court in affect making people homeless then perhaps we should make these companies aware that if even for a short period of time they are homeless if they need a haircut then this is where you can actually go and receive one, this is going above the call of duty, regardless of why they are homeless they are and we should still do what we can to help them learn lessons and get back on their feet again.

Food banks

It would be great to see a partnership with services that offer a food bank so if at the times these services operate hairdressers could link into this would in affect give people two services for the price of one so to speak but this is free of charge.

Christmas Day Meals

Premier Radio facilitates the Christmas Alone campaign https://www.premier.org.uk/Projects/Christmas-Aloneso maybe it would be good if hairdressers on Christmas Day would be able to offer a couple of hours of their time on this special day to help the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society.

Homeless Shelters

It would be great to see a partnership with all local homeless shelters to offer anyone in accommodation at set times so hairdressers meet them where they are at.

Government tax relief

If hairdressers offer this kind of service for a number of clients the government may consider offering some kind of tax relief for businesses or self-employed people.

Volunteer Coordinators

Could we have regional volunteer coordinators to help get projects more off the ground to increase the amount of services offered regionally, nationally & internationally?  

A few quotes to reflect upon

Unknown “Life isn’t perfect but your hair can be”.

Unknown “A hairstylist, a wonderful person who touches more than their hair”

Unknown Hairsytlists prayer “Angel of beauty, my guardian dear, banish bad hair days from the bueaty shop here, guide my hands as I cut, cur, and style, help me work miracles with skill and a smile !!!”

Unknown Hairstylist Blessing “May your scissors always be sharp, your fingers stay nimble, your hairbrush at hand, your feet without bunions and may you always have a smile on your face as you help keep everyone’s hair in the style of the day:.

Lord, we thank you for all those to whom you have given the gift to cut other peoples hair but we realise that some people may struggle financially so if you are able to bless people financially you may raise up a generation that would reach out to the lost by blessing them with free haircuts for the duration they are homeless that in tern when they back on their feet again offer something back to the communities to which we live. We pray your holy spirit will stir up a passion in others hearts to be receivers and givers of such services. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

27thDecember 2018

Type into any credible search engine the words ‘professional hugger’, ‘ethical touch therapist’ or ‘professional cuddle therapist’, there are a growing number of therapists in the UK and worldwide offering this kind of service making a legitimate living out of this, the service can include but not exhaustive to hand holding in public as well as in the room, hugging in a variety of positions.

It is claimed this has a number of health and social benefits for their customers such as with anxiety, depression and happiness.  

They say there are a couple of key scientific benefits such as 1. Oxytocin 2. Cortisol 3. Dopamine.

Therapists have strict boundaries of what is and is not acceptable, at the start of the session you have to sign an agreement before the service commences which is in like with any other professional service you may wish to access such as counselling or massage.

You may have heard of the https://freehugsproject.comwhere some of these videos have gone viral with millions of people watching these videos where hugs are offered in some of the most difficult of settings so they are worth a watch how powerful they are.

I attended for a period of time a Spiritualist Church, one of the practices that they did at the start of meetings instead of shaking hands, which is quite common in other churches especially around sharing of the peace they turned around and gave someone a hug.

With these thoughts in mind, this made me think whether in all church settings regardless of denomination whether at the start of a service all adults should hug one another but for FREE not to have to pay someone to hug you, people do hug in church but it depends how well you know someone, same or opposite sex.

The bible speaks so much about love in the scriptures, we do not know everything about a persons circumstances when they walk through the church doors, what kind of week they have had or will have but the power of embracing someone can make a huge difference to what they are going through the highs and lows of life’s circumstances.

Should hugging be more and more acceptable in church for adults?

Should church leaders as standard or when the peace is being offered suggest to the congregation they hug more in church, if you do not feel comfortable shake their hand?

Here are a few quotes you may wish to think about:

Ann Hood “I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words”.

Bill Keane “Hugging is like a boomerang, it comes back to you straight away”.

Unknown “No matter how strong a person is, they have a week point and sometimes all they need is a hug”.

Word Form “Hugging is a silent way of saying you matter to me”.

Unknown “Sometimes in life we need a hug, no words, no advice, just a hug to make you feel better”.

Unknown “Sometimes when I say ‘I am okay’ I want someone to look me in the eyes, hug me tight and say ‘I know you’re not”.

Terri Guillemets "A hug is a smile with arms, a laugh with a stronger grip." Kathleen Keating  "A hug makes you feel good all day."

Join in the conversation using the hashtag #sponsorabigissueseller. 

There are so many people selling the Big Issue that are 'working' NOT 'Begging therefore for the cost of the magazine are there different ways in which the general public and companies can sponsor a Big Issue Seller. 

How many times do you see a Big Issue Seller and just walk on buy without buying anything or talking to the person?

Perhaps you think they have mental health issues, drug addiction or some kind of family breakdown and do not want to get involved in any capacity.

We need to take the fact that checks have been done by the Big Issue to whom they then give the magazines so buying these Big Issues is helping them have a hand up from their current situation.

If each town could:

·        Identify how many sellers there at any one time.

·        The location of the sellers in each town and city & place the pitch on social media but not include their face, this could be placed on charities, churches or council’s websites.

·        The sellers get £1.25 for every issue sold, these come out every two weeks therefore it would be really good if local companies in conjunction with the Big Issue could buy one magazine i.e. £2.50 a month or £27.50 a year, if in Long Eaton, Derbyshire there are two at any given time and 100 companies invest that is £2750 divided by two £1375 a year for the seller that is guaranteed, anything else the public gives is a bonus.

The Big Issue will give it to the seller directly and state that they sponsor a certain pitch in a location, which is assigned to a particular seller, if they move on for any reason the money will just be kept in a pot

·        It would be nice if the magazine could be kept in their staff room for all the employees to read.

·        It would be nice if a representative from one company could ‘mentor’ and promote a culture where opportunities could be identified within their company to get people into a more stable employment and use it as a more ‘charity’ or ‘community focused’ initiative.

The way we view Big Issue Sellers should not be they are ‘begging’ or ‘selling’ but they are earning a legitimate income, wanting to change their circumstances and have a better future for them.

They are not a burden to society or harass people but should be applauded for not being embarrassed to distribute the magazine, this shame or stigma needs to be removed, many are proud of the opportunity it gives them, so should society.

We should have the distinction between those who are asking for money that may or may not be legitimate.

We should be looking for ways in which the local community in conjunction with the Big Issue can sponsor local Big Issue Sellers into using this as a stepping-stone to returning to a much brighter future.