Lenny Kravitz Supports UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Efforts

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Lenny Kravitz – GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer and actor—is using his voice and talent to do more than dazzle the stage and screen. He is throwing his support behind the global push by UNICEF and its partners to help save and improve the lives of millions of children and their families around the world by providing them with access to clean water and adequate sanitation.

“I was born in New York City and have always taken access to clean water as a given,” said Kravitz. “No child should die of diarrhea from drinking dirty water. That thousands of children under the age of five continue to die every day because they lack clean water and basic sanitation is simply unacceptable.”

Earlier today UNICEF announced that the world has met the Millennium Development Goal for drinking water, with 89 percent of the global population now with access. However, that still leaves more than 780 million people, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, without access. In addition, around 2.5 billion people—almost half the developing world’s population—lack access to improved sanitation. This all adds up to bad news for the children who are being left behind.

Kravitz will be appearing in Public Service Announcements and take to Twitter and Facebook with a message that all children can—and must—have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Kravitz, who recently released the album ‘Black and White America’, and who will be starring in ‘The Hunger Games’ later this month, is joining forces with UNICEF to help mark World Water Day (March 22) and will send a global message of the importance of investing in children and providing them with clean water and sanitation.

In the United States, Kravitz will be lending his support for the UNICEF Tap Project by encouraging his fans and dining patrons across the country to pay $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free during World Water Week, March 19 – 25. With $1, UNICEF can provide a child with access to clean, safe water for 40 days, or 40 children with access to safe water for one day. Funds raised through the 2012 UNICEF Tap Project will provide children and families with clean drinking water in Viet Nam, Togo, Mauritania and Cameroon.

Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have serious repercussions on a child’s health, often causing diarrhea and other easily preventable diseases. Children, particularly girls, often miss school, because they are responsible for gathering water for their families, which can require many hours of their time. In addition, many schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities for girls, causing them to drop out of school. Without safe water, sanitation, and good hygiene, sustainable development is difficult to achieve.

Since 1990, UNICEF, governments and partners, have helped more than 2 billion people gain access to improved water sources and 1.8 billion people gain access to improved sanitation facilities. The efforts include drilling wells and installing water pumps, helping communities build latrines and teaching lifesaving hygiene to schoolchildren and mothers, and providing safe water and sanitation to communities during emergencies.

Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

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Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

Three quarters of people across the UK have too much clutter at home, according to a poll by Storage.co.uk. People love their “stuff” so much, they don’t want to lose it, even though they’ll never use it. The survey found that emotional attachment and the idea they may be useful one day are people’s top reasons for holding on to things they don’t need. Another common cause of clutter (one third of respondents) is the hope that their stuff may be valuable.

An unexpected find was that younger people are more motivated by nostalgia about the past than the older generation. Three in five 18 to 29 year olds cling to clutter because it brings back good memories, compared to only two out of five 50 to 69 year olds who hold on to clutter for the same reason.

As for decluttering habits, the survey found that women sort an area of the home more frequently than men, who mostly tackled the job once or twice in the last twelve months.

The main barriers stopping people from having a good clear out is lack of time and feeling they have better things to do, suggesting they struggle to put the task high on their list of priorities. In some cases, clutter can really get out of control and become a bigger issue in people’s lives. For around one in ten people clutter is damaging their relationships with others, affecting their health and sometimes having a negative effect on the amount of money they have.

Rachel Papworth from Green and Tidy, a professional declutterer and organiser, says: “We live such busy lives, it can be hard to make time for decluttering. If you’re struggling to fit it in, think about how much time you’ll save when you can easily put your hand on whatever you’re looking for. Plus decluttering saves money, protects your mental and physical health, and reduces your environmental impact”.

According to the survey, quirky items of clutter getting in the way at home include a train piston, “hundreds” of old train tickets for travelling to see a fiancé, a camel saddle, carpet samples for a would-be rug , an empty Rotastak hamster cage, seven inch white platform boots, “thousands” of LPs and a lifesize cardboard cut out of Justin Bieber.

Storage.co.uk surveyed men and women in the UK to find out attitudes and habits towards clutter as part of their National Declutter Week campaign to launch on 7 March.

Storage.co.uk is calling on all home occupiers to consider unused stuff sitting at home and to make a big decluttering effort in National Declutter Week from 7 to 18 March. Storage.co.uk has linked up with hospices across the UK to direct donations of saleable items. To view participating hospices, visit http://www.storage.co.uk/national-declutter-week/adopt-a-hospice.

BRITISH STARS HELPING TO SOLVE THE UKs GROWING GANG CULTURE

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Jaime Winstone, BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, Shortee Blitz, Bashy (AKA Ashley Thomas) and Clement Marfo Join Ex Gang Leaders, Dawn Butler and the Metropolitan Police in the ‘Fight Against Gang Crime’

Recent studies document over 250 active criminal gangs, with 176 gang rapes (involving 3 or more attackers) reported over the past 2 years*. Six months after the ‘London Riots’ – in which ten per cent of the youths charged were girls – the national government have announced that they will invest £1.2m of funding to help girls involved with gangs, who may be have been violently or sexually abused by male members.

However, former girl gang leader and youth charity owner, Jenifer Blake and SKET film consultant, Tracy Miller believe that “film and education is the key to tackling gang violence”. Tracey and Jenifer will be hosting a school ‘film screening’ tour alongside high profile guests, including actress BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, Bashy (AKA Ashley Thomas), Jaime Winstone, KISS FM DJ Shortee Blitz and music artist Clement Marfo to educate young people about the risks of being involved in a gang. There will be a screening of clips from the film SKET, starring Ashley Walters (about girl gang culture), followed by a Q&A and debate session at Westminster Kingsway College, on Thursday 8th March. Dawn Butler, representatives from The Metropolitan Police and The Home Office will also take part in the event.

Sket – Tackling Gang Crime Event

Jenifer Blake’s reign of terror lasted from the age of 13 to 37 and included robberies at knifepoint and drug dealing. Jennifer, who once hated the police and abused them on a regular basis, now has a Metropolitan badge and works closely with them as a liaison between gangs on our London Streets, and helped to keep the community safe during the Hackney Riots.

Now in her thirties, Tracey Miller’s biological father was a convicted pedophile and her mother was a manic-depressive who took knives out on anyone that upset her. To deal with all the hurt andpain in her home life, Tracey soon became a gang leader to protect herself.Tracey was shot in the Brixton riots and stabbed a man several time for disrespecting her.

The purpose of the event is to educate young people about the risks of being involved in a gang and the consequences. The film SKET will be used as a discussion point to raise awareness of the risks and consequences of being involved in a gang and as an interactive tool to generate debate around this.

Schedule of Events, Thurday 8th March:

9.30 am – Guests to arrive and be seated

10.00 am – Clips to be shown

10.30 am – Q&A begins

11 – 11.30 am – Media Photocall

* Women’s Resource Centre 2010

Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within 8 Minute Film Hits The Web

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Street Fighter X Tekken has got so many people worked up into a storm it is incredible. The following Tekken short film, Street Fighter X Tekken: The Devil Within, is already being labeled as “epic.”. There is a whole load of action packed into this 8 minute movie and the costumes and hairstyles stay true to the videogame.  The film was released yesterday and over 114,000 people have viewed it on YouTube.

Thousand Pounds Action Company released the film to build interest in the Street Fighter X Tekken: Special Edition videogame for Xbox360 and Playstation 3. On release in the UK tomorrow.

Have a look below and judge for yourself – with so much action and so many moves packed into a mere 8 minute film it is clear that this production team has talent.

One question though still remains: Why oh why has a cinematic movie that remains as faithful to the game it comes from been so sorely lacking? Some times it really just needs fans who love the subject matter to make it happen.

Enjoy

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn_HaEf62h4&w=560&h=315]

 

Going Blonde For Spring?

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Kate Middleton may be a brunette but the allure of being blonde will never go away. Think Marilyn Monroe, Kate Winslet, Gwen Stefani , Debbie Harry and Madonna.

Before going blonde you should make sure you choose a shade that suits your skin tone. I once went platinum blonde. It really wasn’t a good look, I am too pale to carry it off.

If you have dark hair (mid-dark brown or black) you will need to strip you hair of its colour with a prelightner, and take your wardrobe and make up into consideration. Your hair has to suit your lifestyle.

Think of your eyebrows too, Madonna may have had black eyebrows and blonde hair in the 80’s but that wasn’t a good look then, and it isn’t now.

Also think of your roots, it you are low maintenance doing your roots a lot might be a bit much, so don’t go a very pale blonde.

The video below let’s you know everything you need to know about going blonde. It has advice on what kind of blonde to go for, how to protect your hair, and how long you should process your hair for the type of hair you have. All with no expensive hairdresser, but using Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour instead.

Lyndell Mansfield gives you her top tips in the video.

This post was sponsored by Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour.  

Brits Neglecting Health Due to Lack of Money.

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It seems the economical climate is really start to bite as Brits are cutting back on medical care.

New research by Sovereign Health Care has revealed that 63% of UK residents have delayed vital health care treatments to save money over the past 12 months, with women being the worst offenders (34%). Meanwhile more men (54%) than women (42%) said they will have to put back health related appointments this year in order to make their household budget stretch further.

The survey revealed that the economic climate has resulted in a growing number of people neglecting their health in order to try and save money. What’s perhaps even more worrying is that the vast majority of respondents (88%) say they would cancel or delay a health care appointment (such as dentist or opticians), rather than cut back on socialising and entertaining to make their money stretch further.

Although only 20% of those polled said they had been more ill over the last year, compared with previous years, 43% said they have been living with health care conditions such as a bad back, bunions and eye sight problems, as they can’t afford to get treatment – men are the worst culprits (22%). With these findings, it comes as no surprise to learn that 43% of women and 37% of men say it’s quite possible that they have forfeited their health over the past 12 months.

The survey findings also revealed that many people view certain complementary therapies as luxuries rather than necessities, including reflexology (91%), chiropody (73%) and physiotherapy (54%).

Russ Piper, Chief Executive of Sovereign Health Care says: “Delaying health care treatment is tempting when budgets are so tight, but neglecting your health is potentially more expensive and dangerous in the long run as you can increase both the severity of the problems you face and the cost of the treatment you need.”

He adds: “Treatments such as chiropody and physiotherapy can be costly, which is probably why people think of them as a luxury. However, they are beneficial for many people with health problems or injuries and they can be affordable with a health care cash plan as you can often claim back some of the costs.”

It’s not only physical health that is suffering due to the recession, but mental well-being is also being affected, with 81% of people saying they have grown increasingly more anxious about managing their household budget over the last 12 months – women were revealed as the most worried at 52%.

JOIN COSMOPOLITAN’S EDITOR, LOUISE COURT AS SHE DEBATES: ‘I AM A FEMINIST – CAN I VAJAZZLE?’

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JOIN COSMOPOLITAN’S EDITOR, LOUISE COURT AS SHE DEBATES:

‘I AM A FEMINIST – CAN I VAJAZZLE?’

WITH DAWN PORTER & KATE SMURTHWAITE AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S WOW – WOMEN OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL

Cosmopolitan, the magazine for smart, spirited young women has teamed up with Southbank Centre’s WOW – Women of the World Festival, to host a debate on the hot topic of modern-day feminism. The event is part of a series planned to support the magazine’s ‘F Word’ campaign.

WOW – Women of the World festival is Southbank Centre’s annual festival to recognise, celebrate and promote women and runs from Wednesday 7 March to Sunday 11 March across the Southbank Centre site. On Saturday 10th March, Louise Court, Cosmopolitan’s Editor, writer and broadcaster, Dawn Porter, comedian and feminist activist, Kate Smurthwaite and Dr Kristin Aune will battle out the following question – ‘I am a Feminist – Can I Vajazzle?’. The debate will be chaired by columnist and author, India Knight.

This debate is part of Cosmopolitan’s ‘F Word’ campaign, launched to celebrate its birthday issue, on sale 1st March. The campaign aims to shine light on the myths and outdated stereotypes surrounding feminism and starts deliberately with this controversial subject to explore the multiple aspects of women’s relationship with feminism in the 21st century.

Cosmopolitan believe there has never been a more important time to be a feminist, with the world we live in today still far from equal for men and women. The first thing the magazine wants to achieve in its bid for equality is equal pay for men and women doing the same jobs. The magazine is campaigning for the government to get tough now on equal pay, by making it mandatory for companies who employ 250 people or more to carry out a public, annual equal-pay audit. If you want to fight for your right for equal pay in the workplace, sign the Cosmopolitan Equal Pay petition now at www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/equalpay.

To book tickets to for the Cosmopolitan debate – ‘I am a Feminist – Can I Vajazzle?’:

Saturday 10th March, from 3pm – 4pm, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX. Tickets cost £30 for a weekend pass (£15 concessions) and £12 for a day pass (£6 concessions), and are available from the Southbank Centre Ticket Office: 0844 847 9910 / www.southbankcentre.co.uk/wow

NB – Some events have a limited capacity and entry is on a first-come first-served basis.

SUNDANCE LONDON: FILM PROGRAMME UNVEILED FOR INAUGURAL EVENT

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London can never have enough film festivals, and the film legend that is Robert Redford has brought Sundance to our door. I am so excited.

14 Films Make Their UK Premieres, 26-29 April at The O2

London, 7 March 2012 — Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the programme of 14 narrative and documentary feature films that will make their UK premieres at the inaugural Sundance London festival, taking place at The O2 from 26-29 April. These films premiered in January at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States.

“I welcome the opportunity to see how people in the UK experience these films,” said Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute. “While they are American productions they speak to universal experiences and global challenges.”

He went on to add, “Sundance London also is the perfect opportunity to continue our long-time commitment to growing a broader international community around new voices and new perspectives.”

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Sundance London grew out of our desire to help American independent filmmakers expand their reach, and we are happy that these 14 filmmakers are joining us on this adventure. Their participation has helped us to not only create a programme for Sundance London that reflects the diversity of our film festival in Park City, but also that helps build an enduring legacy of American stories that speak to international audiences.”

Alex Hill, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer of AEG Europe, owners of host venue The O2, adds: “All at The O2 are very excited that the inaugural Sundance London film and music festival is nearly upon us. The 14 films which Sundance Institute is bringing to London reflect the strength, depth and breadth of American independent cinema that showcased earlier in the year at the Sundance Film Festival. They complement an exciting music component with performances from Tricky and Placebo, and our opening night event An Evening With Robert Redford and T Bone Burnett. In what is arguably the world’s most culturally diverse city, The O2 is proud to be hosting such a prestigious festival.”

In addition to film screenings, Sundance London will host live music performances and events each evening, including the previously announced Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett, Placebo in concert and Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye. Also on offer to Sundance London audiences will be unique opportunities to attend panels and hear guest speakers talk about the part they play in making films, documentaries and the role of music in modern cinema.

Forthcoming announcements include the festival’s short film programme, special events and additional music performers.

Programme information and ticket packages are available at www.sundance-london.com. Individual tickets will be on sale in early April.