Colors: Blue Color

A new play which explores how social media, peer pressure, advertising and fashion magazines impact on how young people view themselves premieres this weekend in Birmingham (Friday 9 – Sunday 11 June).

Performed at mac birmingham, ‘Do You See What I See?’ is a cabaret show devised from research and improvisation, and is aimed at young people aged 11 to 14 and their families.

Featuring original songs and music, the show has been devised and performed by first year students on the Applied Performance undergraduate course at Birmingham School of Acting, part of Birmingham City University.

Working with a team of professional practitioners, including directors Gillian Adamson and Terina Talbot, the cast have called upon their own struggles with body image to ensure the play can tackle what pressures young people are experiencing today. In researching for the show, they also spoke with young people and distributed a survey on various social media platforms about body image. 

Birmingham School of Acting’s Applied Performance course seeks to prepare passionate and skilled theatre-makers, who want to make a real difference through drama, singing, dancing, spoken word, a documentary or digital art. The focus is on creating new performances and projects with a purpose.

In ‘Do You See What I See?’ 12-year-old Molly struggles with the way she looks and, affected by society around her, she desires to have the ‘perfect body’. Through social media, catwalks, makeup and fairy tales, the audience is taken on a journey through a day in Molly’s life. A cabaret company assists this journey and tries to answers questions of why she feels the way she does, through music and fun.

Birmingham School of Acting student Samuel Speed from Rotherham, South Yorkshire is one the cast members of ‘Do You See What I See?’ He said:  

“Body image should not be ignored. It is one the main factors which affect younger people like myself today. The fact that we have to change something about ourselves every second of the day just to have that sense of fitting in and belonging is upsetting and growing worse.

“The subject matter which we are tackling here is not to give a right or wrong answer to an audience, neither is it to solve the problem. But we are at least standing up to the reason and saying that there is help out there and no one has to or should feel alone.

“Each day at Birmingham City University I learn something new, which I feel is shaping me in all different kinds of ways and is opening my eyes up to the world in a bigger picture than before. I may not be ready to face what's beyond the doors just yet, but I know I am being equipped for whatever comes my way.”

As a cabaret show, music plays an integral role to ‘Do You See What I See?’ and the students worked with the Musical Director, Gladstone Wilson, to compose original songs that help propel the story forward.

The play opens with the sentimental ‘Lost and Found’, which establishes the cabaret company as there to ‘help fix what’s broken’, while the play is peppered with a lullaby called ‘Molly’s Theme’.

The cabaret show also includes pop music parodies of Beyoncé’s ‘Pretty Hurts’ and Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’, which further highlight the play’s central themes.

Hundreds of pupils from across Wolverhampton are tuning up for a spectacular musical performance in Queen Square next week.

Around 520 children from 18 primary and special schools in the City will be taking part in a free concert on Tuesday 13 June from 11.30am-12.30pm, performing songs in a wide range of styles and traditions led by Paul Wilcox from Wolverhampton Music Education Hub.

Tuesday’s performance marks the culmination of a six-month project organised and delivered by Wolverhampton Music Service. Teachers from schools around Wolverhampton took part in regular workshops, learning songs which they could subsequently teach in their own schools in preparation for next week's performance.

Sarah Tulley, Wolverhampton Music Service Assistant Headteacher, said: "School staff have met together on a monthly basis to develop their musical skills so that they can then go on to teach the songs to the children in their schools. We have really enjoyed the opportunity to sing together and are hugely looking forward to next week's performance."

Bill Hague, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Head of School Planning and Resources, said: “Music is an important part of a young person's education, and our Music Service provides quality teaching for children and young people across Wolverhampton.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the pupils to show off their talents, and I am sure they will put on a fantastic show which will make their parents and teachers incredibly proud. I’d encourage as many people as possible to come along on Tuesday to cheer them on.”

Wolverhampton Music Service provides tuition and musical opportunities for youngsters from schools across the city, including the chance to perform with its flagship groups, Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra and Wolverhampton Youth Wind Orchestra. To find out more, please visit www.wmsonline.org.uk.

When Kiran Seeley steps over the edge of Birmingham’s Park Regis Hotel to join John Taylor Hospice’s first abseil, she’ll be remembering her very special grandmother.

“She was always happy – just an absolute joy to be around,” says Kiran when asked to describe her grandmother Enid. “She was so supportive, loved to hear what I was up to and took a great interest in her grandchildren. I remember when I was younger and she’d come to our house to visit. When I’d go to bed that night I’d find £10 stuffed under my pillow. I’d call her up to thank her and she would say ‘don’t tell your mom and dad’! I have so many special memories of her.”

When grandmother-of-two Enid Seeley was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, Kiran and her family were devastated. “She was told that the cancer was too close to her brain so they couldn’t operate,” explains 27-year-old Kiran.

“Chemotherapy and radiotherapy weren’t an option so as a family we pulled together, helping her to still do the things she loved and making sure she was as comfortable as she could be.”

In the spring of 2010, Enid moved from her home in Fillongley, Warwickshire, to live with her son and daughter-in-law, Kiran’s parents, in Erdington.

“I was at university in Liverpool at the time but I came home early that summer to spend time with Granny and help Mom and Dad the best I could,” said Kiran. “She started to become frailer and that’s when John Taylor’s Hospice at Home Team came to support us.

“From my grandmother’s perspective she loved their company. She’d tell the nurses about her life and the little things they did meant so much – like switching on her favourite radio station Classic FM. From our family’s perspective, their support was a big relief.

“My grandmother passed away peacefully at home in August of that year. It was a bit of a blur for me at the time but now I look back I appreciate just how gentle and compassionate the hospice staff were and my grandmother needed that.”

A committed fundraiser, each year Kiran pledges to raise money for a good cause. She was en route to her job as a buyer for Marston’s Brewery in Wolverhampton when she spotted her next charitable challenge – John Taylor Hospice’s abseil.

She explains: “The last two years I’ve been baking to raise money and whilst this is both fun and tasty it is a hobby I am very much comfortable doing. This year I wanted to set myself a true challenge.

“I was on the train to work when I spotted an advert for John Taylor’s sponsored abseil and I thought ‘that’s it!’. The hospice provided specialist and considerate palliative care for my grandmother so now’s the time for me to do something for them.”

Kiran, who hopes to raise as much money as possible when she takes the 170ft plunge, is encouraging others to join her on 8 July. “It’s a great way to raise money for hospice care and will be an amazing thrill! You can even share the experience with a friend or family member as you can abseil down the building at the same time. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me - by donating to a very worthy cause you’re helping give me the confidence to jump down!”

Head of fundraising Katie Mitchell, who is also part of the abseil team, said: “Kiran and all of our abseilers are doing something wonderful to support John Taylor Hospice. Throughout the past year, hundreds of people like Kiran have helped us provide essential care for local families by fundraising for us. Whether it’s by taking on a challenge, hosting an event or attending one of our events, we’d like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of our supporters. Together we’re making a massive difference for hundreds of patients and their families.”

Love was in the air as Wolverhampton Art Gallery staged its first wedding ceremony on Saturday.

Bride Nisha Patel, aged 29, was eager to return to her home city of Wolverhampton to tie the knot with Northampton-born Bhavin Pandya, 28.

When she heard the Lichfield Street venue had been granted a license to hold weddings, she and her husband-to-be jumped at the chance to book their special day there.

The couple, who now live in Dudley, were joined by more than 80 guests for the occasion in the first-floor Georgian gallery room.

Nisha said: “We feel so happy and unique to be the first couple to tie the knot at the art gallery.

“I grew up in Wolverhampton and I wanted the ceremony to be in my home city.

“After months of planning and looking for a unique venue to hold our ceremony, we found that the art gallery was putting an application through to become a registered venue for civil ceremonies.

“We waited for the application to be approved, which was nerve wracking, as it was so close to the wedding date - but it was definitely worth the wait.

“The gallery is so beautiful and was the perfect setting for our ceremony where we made our own piece of art 'The Declaration of Marriage'.

“Everyone who attended loved the setting and found the ceremony so unique. It is definitely a perfect venue for the perfect ceremony.”

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is one of the new venues registered by City of Wolverhampton Council that can hold weddings. Other venues include Bantock House Museum in Finchfield and Wolverhampton’s accredited City Archives in the city centre.

As well as weddings, all the venues can be hired for private functions.

June means it’s officially summer, and the prospect of surprisingly brilliant British weather can only mean one thing… it’s time to throw a barbecue with your friends and family!

But, before you start warming those coals, we ask you to spare a thought for those dirty grills which have been languishing in the garden shed since August 2016. Oven Pride has pulled together some top tips on how to show your barbecue some summer loving that will not only make your food taste better, but help maintain one of the most loved summer cooking tools around.

1. You wouldn’t cook a steak in a dirty pan, so why put your steak on the barbecue before giving it a good clean? Be sure to start off by cleaning your barbecue grates, and to make your life easier Oven Pride’s Deep Cleaner is the perfect solution to rid your grills of stubborn burnt on food. All you need to do is put the grates in the plastic bag provided and pour half to ¾ of  the cleaning solution over them. Leave these to soak for a minimum of four hours or overnight for the best results, and then rinse thoroughly with hot soapy water.

Top Tip: Cooking fresh food before cleaning grates with old burnt on grime will give your food a bitter flavour and could ruin your chances of hosting a perfect BBQ

2. Don’t forget to clean the inside of your barbecue too. Start off by disposing of old ashes from the bottom of the barbecue and then pour the remaining Oven Pride solution into the tray. Wearing gloves, use a sponge to spread the

solution around the whole tray and leave for a minimum of four hours, or overnight for best results.

3. The main cleaning event might be the barbecue but let’s not forget every barbecue’s best friends… the spatula, skewer and cooking tongs. After all, how will you flip those burgers and turn your sausages? Make sure you give all of these utensils a deep clean in hot soapy water to rid them of old grease and burnt on food, as over time this can be hazardous and also impact the flavour of your food.

4. And lastly, how can I maintain this level of cleanliness for the rest of the summer we hear you say? After each use, wait until the grates are lukewarm and give them a quick clean using a grill brush and hot soapy water, this way any food residue will be easier to remove.

The UK’s biggest mass-participation cycling event is coming to the East Midlands, kick starting a national summer of cycling this June for over half a million people.

Bike Week 2017 (10 – 18 June) is set to add another 500,000 people to the five million who already cycle three times or more a week.

From family friendly traffic-free rides, to bike breakfasts, and even naked bike rides, Bike Week brings together a host of hundreds of fun events across the UK to help make cycling a more accessible and attractive proposition to the many people who might just need a gentle nudge back into the saddle this summer.

Whether it’s for a fun leisurely off-road ride with family and friends, a chance to escape the daily grind and explore the countryside, or simply to avoid the traffic jams getting to work or on the school run, Bike Week provides a one stop shop of events and inspiration to get you out and about in the saddle. There are a wide range of events taking place across the county suitable for cyclists of all ages and levels of experience.

With cycling becoming more popular than ever, increasing numbers of people are taking up cycling as an easy and efficient way to travel. According to the National Travel Survey, over five million people cycle three or more times a week.

Cycling UK’s Chief Executive, Paul Tuohy said “Bike Week is the UK’s excuse for a party on a bike, and that’s why our theme this year is ‘Fun & Freedom’. Cycling UK wants to help millions more people to rediscover – or find out for the first time – just how much fun you can have cycling. So whether you’re out with friends, are planning a family get together, or like getting away from the daily grind, join the half a million people taking part in Bike Week from 10 – 18 June!”

To support those already cycling or new to riding a bike, Bike Week is also partnering with Halfords this year, so that Bike Week participants can get a free bike check, and 20% off the price of gold, silver and bronze servicing.

Local independent restaurant Milan Indian Cuisine, situated on Newhall Street City Centre, will be launching their ‘Good Earth Indian Vegetarian Food Festival’ this month. Beginning on the 19th June and finishing on the 1st July, Milan will be showcasing some exciting and exclusive vegetarian options, with all ingredients sourced from the abundant and nutritional produce of Mother Earth.

No country in the world is as strongly associated with vegetarianism as India, and the country is often referred to as the paradise for vegetarian food. Mahatma Gandhi is perhaps India’s most famous exponent of vegetarianism, arguing vigorously that vegetarianism was more conducive to a life led according to the precepts of ahimsa (respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others).

In celebration of the vegetarian diet, Milan Indian Cuisine have created an exclusive menu featuring specially selected, unique creations that are prepared by their expert chefs. The festival menu will include a range of aromatic delights.

Parvinder Multani, Head Chef at Milan Indian Cuisine, comments: “The vegetarian food festival is all about enjoying what the Earth has to offer. In today's world with lifestyles becoming sedentary what more can one ask to have a low calorie well balanced nutritious food with abundant variety.” Comment ends.

Milan Indian Cuisine was established in 1988 as one of the first Indian restaurants in the area and is well-known for their great range of authentic yet innovative Indian dishes for vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners alike.

The dedication of teams of committed volunteers in Wolverhampton has been recognised after seven organisations they represent received the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

It is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK, presented for outstanding achievement by people who regularly volunteer their own time to enhance and improve the lives of others.

Awards were given to Access to Business, Ashmore Park Community Association, Bilston Town Community Football Club, Hope Community Project, Interfaith Wolverhampton, Jai Jashn Dance and The Haven Wolverhampton.

Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Elias Mattu, whose theme for his Mayoral year is recognising the value of volunteering, said: “Charities and volunteers do tremendous work helping the most needy and vulnerable people in our City, and I am delighted that these seven groups have been recognised in this way.

“We have thousands of fantastic volunteers in Wolverhampton who give up their valuable time to support others, and it is wonderful that so many are now the proud recipients of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service."

Access to Business provides critical specialist support services for the unemployed, specialising in support for people with disabilities and health problems.

Ashmore Park Community Association offers a welcoming space where all ages come together for a wide range of activities and events which promote physical, social and mental well-being.

Bilston Town Community Football Club provides free or affordable educational coaching and access for young people to watch live sport.

Hope Community Project supports the most vulnerable and forgotten people of all ages living in the Heath Town area of Wolverhampton.

Interfaith Wolverhampton has, for more than 40 years, been dedicated to promoting dialogue, understanding and community cohesion between people of different faiths and cultures.

Jai Jashn Dance delivers Bollywood‐based community classes, exploring the dance heritage of India with members able to positively demonstrate and promote its diversity.

The Haven Wolverhampton works hard to support vulnerable women and children who are victims of domestic abuse and homelessness to regain their place in society.

Access to Business Chief Executive Josie Kelly said: "We are absolutely honoured and delighted to have received our Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

“For over 15 years we have been providing services for unemployed and disabled people in our City to improve their skills and confidence and support their route to employment.

“Volunteers play a vitally important role in supporting our work and include our volunteer Board of Directors and many local volunteers supporting and promoting our work helping others to improve their lives."

Ann Wood, Chair of Ashmore Park Community Association, said: “I am bursting with pride. This is a great honour and privilege for our charity and all our volunteers who work so hard to provide facilities and activities for others.

“They will be delighted to know that they are award winners – and not just any awards winners, they are now Queen’s Award Winners for Voluntary Service."

Many of the nominations were supported by the City of Wolverhampton Council which worked closely with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Lieutenancy Assessment Assessor Sylvia Parkin MBE, from Tettenhall. She said: "I am delighted that these seven worthy groups of volunteers have been recognised in this way.

“It is impossible to overestimate the impact their organisations have on the people of Wolverhampton, and the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service highlights their commitment to the city and its residents.”

To be nominated for the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service an organisation must provide a service that meets a need for people living in the local community, be supported, recognised and respected by the local community and the people who benefit from it and be run locally.

After weeks of campaigning and back and forth spiel about their respective merits and problems, the political parties left the future of the country up to the people of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 8th June. After a tense, few hours the results came trickling through.

No one party won an outright majority, the Conservatives won 315 seats (at the time of writing) and Labour won 261 seats. With 326 seats needed for an outright majority, no one party could claim that right. Consequently, many have begun wondering what this now means, in this article, we shall highlight the possible outcomes of the hung Parliament.

Firstly, a coalition government seems the most likely outcome. The Conservatives are the largest party in Parliament with 315 seats, whilst the DUP have 10 seats, considering the previous working relationship these two parties have, a coalition between the two of them does seem likely. At present with four seats still to declare their results, it is possible that the Conservatives would gain enough seats there to be able to properly form a coalition government with the DUP, though of course there would need to be a lot of negotiation before a proper agreement is reached.

Given that Brexit negotiations are due to start in earnest within the next few weeks, any negotiations cannot take too long, as Britain will want to present a united front when it comes to the negotiation table.

Secondly, Theresa May could if all else fails form a minority government. This would mean that though she does not have an outright majority in the House of Commons, as the biggest party in the Commons, her party would be able to hold the position of government of the United Kingdom, but they would be reliant on other parties to make the passing of laws easier.

This last happened during the 1970s, under Labour and led to a lot of civil unrest, as Labour was held hostage by the Trade Unions and infighting. Consequently, it does not hold much appeal to anyone who has an inkling of history. Furthermore, as previously mentioned Brexit negotiations are fast approaching, and the government would wish for as strong a hand as possible when entering the negotiations.

A minority government would not give them that, due to a belief that they lack democratic legitimacy in some corners. And ensuring that any agreement reached has smooth sailing in the Commons would be much harder, with MPs more likely to stick to their own inkling than toe the party line.

To conclude, this election has produced a surprise result, especially when one considers that Theresa May was twenty points ahead of Jeremy Corbyn when she called the election in April. With her stumbling performance and countless U-Turns on policy, the gaps in her ability to lead have been exposed combined with Jeremy Corbyn’s growth in confidence, and the Hung Parliament begins to make more sense. We are in for a very interesting few weeks.

Yesterday, Britain went to the polls, to choose a new government. The parties have been campaigning since April, and they have offered a variety of different options on a whole host of issues. There has been the usual rhetoric, slogans thrown about, ‘strong and stable’ performances as well as ‘weak and wobbly’ performances. After nearly two months of campaigning it all came to an end yesterday, and with the increased number of people who have registered to vote, turnout was expected to be high.

However, to ensure that nobody skips out on doing their democratic duty, Scottish Beer company BrewDog offered voters a free pint if they vote. It’s a simple process really, if a voter took a picture of themselves outside their polling station and then enters one of BrewDog’s many bars across the country and shows staff their picture, then they will get a free pint.

During the day, The Phoenix Newspaper decided to take up this offer, and at the bar located opposite Turtle Bay in the city centre, found a packed pub. When a barman was asked about the offer he had this to say. “Yeah, we did something similar with the referendum, and not many people turned up. But since there’s been more people registering to vote this time around, and turning up, I think we’ll have a lot more customers. It’s a good thing you know, people are getting out there and having their voice heard.”

A group of young workers, just finished work arrived at the bar around five thirty, and when interviewed had this to say. “Yeah, we’d normally come here anyway, but the free pint really enticed us down. It’s a great initiative.” Many of them were hoping for a Labour victory, with one member hoping for a hung Parliament!

Certainly, there was no lack of excitement over the election or the offer. A smart initiative by BrewDog and one that is sure to bring more excitement and fun to an already intriguing election season.

An exciting new opportunity for schools and organisations will soon be available at the RSPCA’s Newbrook Farm Animal Centre.

The animal centre in Birmingham is expanding to include an education centre which aims to promote the importance of animal welfare to children and young people.

RSPCA Newbrook Farm Education Centre will launch in August with school visits, activity days, animal welfare programmes and outdoor learning.

It aims to support families, children and young people develop their compassionate skills, learn about nature and the five animal welfare needs.

Debbie Caffull, animal centre manager, said: “We are so excited to be launching the education arm of RSPCA’s Newbrook Farm Animal Centre this summer. Education is such a vital part in ensuring good animal welfare in the future. The centre hopes to inspire children to love and care for animals as much as we do, and teach them important life lessons along the way.”

Craig Osborne, animal hospital manager, also supports the education centre, he said: “Programmes that teach children and young people compassion towards animals can help them realise the potential they have in their own lives and the valuable contribution they can make to their community.”

Newbrook Farm has recently been awarded a Quality Badge from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and is now expanding on this with a dedicated education centre.

Charlie Chan, community engagement manager, who is developing the education centre, said: “All the programmes are completely free and can work alongside the national curriculum or an organisation’s own projects.

“As well as school visits, activity days and animal welfare programmes for schools, youth groups and families, there will also be opportunities for outdoor learning including fun trails to get back to nature.

“The activities are designed to be achievable and rewarding as well as having an element of discovery and learning. Education is key to ensuring that everyone is aware of the five animal welfare needs and how to meet them.”

The Newbrook Farm Education Centre is urging schools, local groups and organisations to get in touch now to find out how they can book into the education centre.

There is also a need for more volunteers to get involved with the Volunteer Speaker Scheme. This scheme sees volunteers delivering talks to school groups and assemblies about the work of the RSPCA and the five animal welfare needs. The role would suit anyone with some spare time who is comfortable speaking to groups, passionate about animal welfare and looking to help.

The education centre could also be a brilliant opportunity for a university student to use as a placement to support and enhance their studies, or for someone looking for work experience in this sector.

For more information and updates, find the Newbrook Animal Centre on Facebook, RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre and Hospital, or follow us on Twitter @RSPCABirmingham.

 

Hundreds of toddlers will be dressing up and taking part in a mass march around Dudley Zoo in aid of charity next week.

The annual Barnardo’s Big Toddle is due to take place on the mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday, June 13 and 14.

This is the 20th year of the popular half-mile sponsored walk, which sees parents and children either organise their own event or attend one of the larger regional spectacles.

Dudley Zoo hosts the largest Toddle in the UK, and this year’s event has a ‘colour’ theme with children encouraged to dress up in their boldest and brightest outfits.

Admission is free to under-5s, with discounts for adults and older children. Registrations close this Friday June 9th.

Gates open at 10am, with the walk beginning at 11am.

Barnardo’s regional assistant director Emily Phelps said: “The Big Toddle is the UK’s biggest and best fundraising event for under-5s. It’s all about children helping children by taking part in short sponsored walks.

“Nurseries, playgroups, childminders and parents are welcome to organise their own events, but we also have a number of public Toddles - and the one at Dudley Zoo is one of the biggest in the UK.

“It’s a fantastic venue and we’re looking forward to seeing hundreds of happy faces across the two days.”

Children will be welcomed by a costumed mascot and entertainers, with free refreshments for each registered child.

Barnardo’s staff will also be available to talk about how they can help to give children the best possible start in life.

Dudley Zoo marketing manager Andrea Hales said: “We’re delighted once again to team up with Barnardo’s and support the incredible work they do in giving children the best start in life.

“The Big Toddle is always hugely popular. So make sure you sign up soon and have a really wild time helping to raise funds for a very worthy cause.”

 

Although Suffragette might have you believing only white women were entrenched in the cause for women’s suffrage in Britain, there were a number of Indian suffragettes and suffragists who took part. Most notably, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, daughter of the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, helped lead marches and played up her perceived ‘exoticness’ in order to bring much-needed attention to the movement. For International Women’s Week, I will shed light on some of her contributions, as well as that of the other wealthy Indian women fighting for suffrage in the 1900s to 1910s.

Read the original full article here

Summer has arrived, and Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International will be unleashing a variety of in-game and real-world activities to celebrate Pokémon GO’s first anniversary. Downloaded more than 750 million times in its first year, Pokémon GO will be bringing Trainers together in new and unique ways this summer through a variety of in-game and live events including Pokémon GO Fest, the first live Pokémon GO event organised by Niantic.

“It’s been an incredible first year for Pokémon GO thanks to the passion and dedication from the global Trainer community,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, Inc. “As part of the first anniversary, we’ll be giving players around the world the chance to enjoy fun in-game events, engage with friends and other Trainers at real-world events, and much more.”

Pokémon GO Fest is our first official dedicated real-world event for Pokémon GO and will be hosted in Chicago on July 22. Trainers from around the world will flock to Chicago’s Grant Park for a Pokémon GO celebration. The fun-filled day of Pokémon GO in the park will give Trainers the chance to meet fellow players and engage in a variety of activities. Tickets for Pokémon GO Fest will go on sale beginning June 19 at 10:00 A.M. PDT on PokemonGoLive.com/Fest.

European Trainers can look forward to Pokémon GO celebrations hosted across the continent from June through September in partnership with Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers. Trainers in the United States who are not able to make it to Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago can look for further event integration in several cities across North America as Niantic and the Knight Foundation continue their partnership on the Open Streets program.

The Pokémon Company is organizing “Pikachu Outbreak”, a Pokémon event in Yokohama, Japan, in August where they’re exploring a unique Pokémon GO experience.

Players around the world who are eager to get outside, explore and fill up their Pokédexes can look forward to the Solstice Event, Pokémon GO’s first in-game event of the summer, running from Tuesday, June 13 at 1:00 PM PDT until June 20 at 1:00 PM PDT. During this event, Trainers can expect increased encounter rates for their favorite Fire-type and Ice-type Pokémon, including Charmander, Cyndaquil, Houndour, Swinub, Sneasel, and their Evolutions, and others. Trainers will also be awarded increased XP for in-game actions like Curveballs, Nice Throws, Great Throws, Excellent Throws, and more. In addition, Lucky Eggs will be 50% off in the in-game shop, meaning even more XP can be gained when discovering and catching elusive Fire-type and Ice-type Pokémon.

Today is the day to cast your vote in the United Kingdom General Election. Regardless of what way you want to vote, make sure that you get out there and vote one way or another!

When Theresa May won the leadership election for the Conservative party following David Cameron’s resignation, and Brexit, she promised to bring ‘strong and stable’ leadership to the country. She promised to fight for the ‘just about managing’ families of Britain. She promised a great deal, and for the first few months it worked.

Compared to the stumbling and enemy prone Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May came across as calm, confident and experienced. She had served for six years as Home Secretary-a record since the end of the Second World War- and she had done her best to contribute to Britain’s recovery after the economic recession of 2008. Additionally, though she might not have been the most eager for Brexit, she soon threw herself into ensuring that Britain got the best deal possible from Europe. She ensured that her cabinet was filled with those who supported Brexit, as well as those who wanted to chart a middle ground.

Theresa May appeared to be working in the interests of the British people, and her twenty point lead over Jeremy Corbyn in April, 2017 seemed to reflect the view of the British people that she was indeed doing a good job. She then called a general election, and many predicted a landslide for the Conservatives in the face of a hopeless Labour party, riven by internal division, a non-existent Liberal Democrat party, and the decimation of UKIP. What has since transpired has been something few would’ve expected in April.

Theresa May prides herself on being forthright, having come from a humble background and supposedly espousing ‘traditional British values.’ She prides herself on her morals and being willing to fight for what she believes is right for Britain. Her catch phrase is meant to reflect that. Yet many are increasingly coming to believe that that is a lie, and that her underlying problems will be her undoing.

But what exactly are the problems that people such as Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron and Nicola Sturgeon feel Theresa May is trying to hide from the British public, and why would they be such a big talking point of this election, if they were not important beforehand? Well, there are the obvious issues: police cuts, issues in the NHS, immigration and security, as well as the less well known issues, mainly that there is surprisingly little actual criticism of Theresa May present before she became Prime Minister.

Firstly, in light of the recent attacks in London and Manchester, cuts to the police service have become an ever more pressing issue. Before the general election, there were murmurs that the cuts being implemented by the Conservative government to the police force were alarming and would have severe consequences, but they were just murmurs nothing more. It is only after attacks in London and Manchester, and the revelations that those responsible for the attacks were known to the police, but that the police could do nothing about them, because of how many other things they had to do, that the issue of the cuts has becoming a serious issue.

In fact a quick look at the figures as stated by the government shows that from March 2010 to March, 2016, police numbers fell from 143,734 to 124,066 and during the same time period the number of armed officers fell from 6,653 to 5,639. Given the increased risk of terror in Europe, following the attacks in France, Germany and Belgium, this is an alarming statistic. As Home Secretary, Theresa May defended such cuts stating that the system needed reform, and that reducing the number of policemen would save costs. During the time of the recession and the recovery this was understandable, but now? Now it is seen as something that was an unnecessary risk to take. Jeremy Corbyn has vigorously criticised Theresa May for these cuts stating: “You cannot protect the public on the cheap. The police and security services must get the resources they need not 20,000 police cuts.”

However, as is seemingly common with Theresa May, she has deflected this criticism, not with solid argument, but with what has increasingly appeared to be desperation. In a speech on Monday she said: “The commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has said that the Met is well-resourced, and they are, and that they have very powerful counterterrorism capabilities, and they do. We have protected counterterrorism policing budgets.”

This seems highly ironic given the cuts to policing and the obvious affect it is having, as Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, which represents the police said. “Nobody here will say: ‘If it wasn’t for this cut, that wouldn’t have happened. It would be folly to say so. But what we can say is that the figures speak for themselves and questions need to be asked.”

Theresa May’s record is not just shady on policing. On immigration, May promised to live up to a Conservative pledge in the 2010 and 2015 election campaigns to reduce immigration down to 100,000. In 2014, had increased from 244,000 to 330,000 an increase rather than a decrease. And in her attempt to change course or make up for this short fall, May has taken to some rather odd strategies. Firstly, she insists that international students be included in the immigration count, despite several of her colleagues and experts stating that this would be a grave mistake, and as such the numbers have not fallen, though British Universities have suffered. Secondly May used a series of vans in immigrant communities, which included slogans that not only encouraged immigrants to leave, but were highly racist, which did not unsurprisingly convince immigrants to leave, but rather fostered feelings of anger and resentment amongst these communities. Thirdly, May then targeted random groups of people such as two American Bloggers, who were allowed to tour North America and Europe freely, but were refused entry in Britain for unknown reasons. Theresa May has consistently, tried to project an image for a strong leader during the campaign, but as one can see here, her record is not strong, it is not perfect, it is weak and shady. This is further emphasised by the fact that there appeared to be little actual overt criticism of May as Home Secretary.

It appears that Theresa May and her close advisors would pressurise members of the press to either print something flattering about her, or to criticise junior ministers or civil servants in the Home Office-a clear breach of our supposed freedom of speech- and anything that slipped through their net and directly criticised May was either removed, or made unavailable within moments of being uploaded. This fits in with another trend that has been noticed, Theresa May seems to be a big fan of preventing overt criticism over her person. A big supporter of the 2014 Lobbying Act Theresa May, has often refused to answer questions or comments from charities such as the British Red Cross, over the state of the NHS and the level of homelessness within Britain. Indeed, after attacking the British Red Cross for their ‘crisis in the NHS’ comments earlier this year, it appears that May has stifled charities of all shapes and sizes from actually discussing the election, something which is being called a “grave threat to our democracy.”

Finally, on the campaign trail itself, there have been a few gaffes, most memorably the U turn over welfare payments and winter fuel payments for the elderly, which led to May stating that her U-turn was not in fact a U turn but a cleverly cast policy, which came in for a lot of ridicule. There have been her refusals to take part in debates with other party leaders, making her appear afraid and scared, there have been her weak answers and frigid appearances during television interviews, and a whole other litany of things that appear to contradict the Strong and Stable leadership image she has tried to convey.

To conclude, Theresa May can appear confident and sure of herself when she wishes to, she can talk about her record-which isn’t that impressive, other than being the longest serving home secretary since the end of the war- and she can deride Jeremy Corbyn. But, when one looks at it, her record is somewhat shocking, promises have consistently been made and broken, her approach to handling criticism smacks of a third world dictator, and her ability to handle pressure situations seems lacking. Theresa May is a woman of many faces, not many of them pleasant.