Will you volunteer?

London 2012 will depend on up to 70,000 volunteers to make sure the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games run smoothly and successfully. Volunteers will carry out a range of essential tasks, from spectator services to language services and medical care. The London 2012 volunteering spirit will spread wider than the Games themselves as we encourage everyone to give their time to help others. London 2012 is an opportunity to inspire everyone to develop their interests and volunteer – in sport and more widely within their community. Up to 70,000 volunteers will be needed to help put on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our programme will aim to encourage a wide range of people to join in. We will provide the training to make sure our v If you live in the Host Boroughs, around the Olympic Park, you could get involved in the 'Changing Places' project to improve the local area. Volunteers’ skills are of the highest standard. There are lots of charities and sporting organisations that are looking for volunteers to help them. While you are waiting for applications for the London 2012 volunteer programme to open in 2010 why not consider getting involved locally? You can find opportunities to volunteer in a range of activities in your local area by following the links on the right hand side of this page or make local enquiries about the needs in your community. Applications will open in 2010. We’ll recruit volunteers from across the UK – from a range of communities and backgrounds. Our recruitment process will be transparent, open and fair. Our goal is to select applicants who meet our criteria and who will bring passion, enthusiasm and energy to the Games. Previous volunteering experience is not necessary. We’ll give each successful applicant a specific role, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the Games. There will be two kinds of Games volunteer – specialist and generalist. Specialist volunteers will have specific existing skills or qualifications that are needed for them to complete the role – for example, sport or medical training. Generalist volunteers will not need any special skills or qualifications and will receive full training. They might be given roles in areas such as event services, uniform distribution and Village operations. All volunteers will be expected to attend training events that will give them the knowledge they need to carry out their role.

Guru Pyari Sadh Sangat Jio, Pyare Jio, Fateh Gajbajh Keh Parvan Karni:

Today we shall be talking about the Sikh ideal of Seva - selfless service. In Jugo Jug Atal Dhan Guru Granth Sahib Jio, we find many references to how Gursikhs performing Seva should undertake such a blessing. Firstly a Guru Da Sikh, should undertake the seva as a nimana, i.e. humbly, like they are the dust of people's feet. They should dedicate their mind, body, and wealth to fulfill the task of seva. Then only can their seva be seen to be true. On the other hand to criticise others that are trying to do seva, is not being a nimana, it is Hankar, and criticism. To feel that One is better than others in seva defeats the objective. To bring this idea of seva to contemporary times. It is neccessary to discuss current events. Today we will be talking about the Sikh Student Camp and the role it plays in Seva. There has been alot of nindia of various Sikh Organisations, and individuals and our aim is not to add fuel to the fire, but to present a model based on Gurmat, and contemporary events. Recently the Sikh Student camp was condemed by a statement on the Punjab Radio, Southall, U.K. As well as a statement in Panthic weekly. After careful consideration of the points brought to public attention in this statement, it is only right to see comparitively if there is a basis for the camp to discontinue. Two years ago certain people approached the camp sevadars and asked them to hand over the camp. Subsequently a senior Sevadars (Gurmukh Singh's) car was set on fire outside his house, and two other sevadars attacked. We must ask ourselves are these Dharmic actions? Of note is that Gurmukh Singh is a amritdhari, vegetarian, tee-total, has three children, lives and serves his parents, as well as a senior manager for BT for the last twenty years. Some people view the camp as controversial as the Sevadars do not belong to any major Sikh organisations, and are independant. They also promote what other people feel is a "liberal" approach. However this can be seen to be true for many other Sikh organisations. Therefore why has this camp recieved such a negative reception? A number of Sikhs in East London are strongly against the Sikh Student Camp. Some of these individuals are not free from controversy themselves. For example one of them was caught in the act of being with an underage girl at a cinema, and touched her sexually. For which he was beaten by the Sangat. He is also involved in other projects (Mata Sahib Kaur Project) as well as Youth Camps in East London, surely for such an action he should be watched closely particularly with younger female members of the Sangat. We are not saying he should stop doing seva, but there is obviously cause for concern. There are also a few amritdharis, who claim the Sikh student camp is against gurmat, but yet they are on their third and fourth marriages. Now the Sangat needs to ask a question? Who is in the wrong here? Those that are pointing the finger, or those whose houses and cars are being set on fire, but who live as Gursikhs?
Some puritan Sikhs have even stopped wearing seat belts in their cars, over the Gatra, as they feel it is disrespect to the Kakkar. Sadly one Singh and his wife, a number of years ago were not wearing their seat belts. Very sadly an accident occured and his wife was sadly killed in the accident. We should try and prevent tragedy like this happening again by abiding by the law.
Furthermore there are individuals doing seva in the community who have numerous sexual offences against their name. Should they be allowed to represent the Panth? Compared to the Sikh Student camp with minor complaints, why are indivduals like Harbinder Rana allowed to represent us? Rana is the acting director of Maharaja Dalip Singh Trust and ASHT.
This man with convictions of numerous accounts of sexual assault regularly hob knobs with Prince Charles: On the other hand the Sikh Student co-ordinators all have clean records, ten years of Seva behind them each, most have degrees from top universities like Imperial and Cambridge. It seems that unless they do not take a fundamentalist line they are preyed upon by these type of criminals. Therefore the underlying cause of all of this is politicial loyalties, with certain Jathas and sects. There have been posts on websites of Singhs who are sevadars of Sikh Student doing Bhangra, and has been labelled as anti-Gurmat. Personally I can think of worse anti-gurmat activities, like setting peoples cars on fire, sexual relations with underage girls, suicides, repeated marriages, and so on. Bhangra seems trivial compared to these major crimes.
It is common knowledge that two Sikhs are being converted to either Christianity or Islam a week. While we have these trouble makers and ex-criminals trying to lead the Panth. One example of such trouble makers are 'Sikhs' believing they are Hindus, mainly Nidar Singh Nihang. Our next post will deal with the rising trend of conversion amongst Sikhs to other religions, and the method employed by Christians, Hindus and Muslims to achieve this.
One God : Waheguru ,One Guru : Sahib Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. One Group : Guru Khalsa Panth!

THE CHALLENGES OF 2009 DEMAND AN OLYMPIC RESPONSE

Looking back at a year dominated for the IOC and the Olympic Movement by the Beijing Olympic Games, it’s natural to reflect not only on the success of the Games, but also on the new challenges and opportunities which all of us who care about the Olympic ideal must face in 2009, and which the past 12 months have brought into stark relief. Beijing was an amazing success. More countries than ever before competed. More countries – 87 – won medals; more women participated; and 132 Olympic records and 32 world records were set. We witnessed incredible performances by athletes like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, and saw the kinds of moments which happen only at the Olympic Games, such as the embrace between Russian and Georgian athletes on the podium. However, Beijing’s achievement mustn’t overshadow the Games to come in Vancouver, London and Sochi, or the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and Innsbruck. 2009 will also be an important year in its own right. In October, Copenhagen will host the 13th Olympic Congress. This will be an important milestone and a chance for the entire Olympic family to discuss and debate some major issues around the role of the Olympic Movement in society. How can we use digital technologies to communicate the values of Olympism? How do we better connect with young people? What can we all do to encourage people to lead active, healthy lifestyles? These are just some of the questions we will grapple with at the Congress. Getting at some answers won’t be easy, but is very necessary. The creation of exciting new initiatives, such as the Youth Olympic Games, is part of our response, but it’s only by getting as many people as possible to provide their energy and ideas that we can learn what we need to harness the tremendous transformative power of the Games. This is the challenge of the coming year. Given their role as a vehicle for public and private investment in lasting infrastructure and facilities, I believe there is no better time than the present for the Olympic Games. They provide the ultimate goal for athletes; a vision to inspire young people; an opportunity for volunteers to gain new skills and experience; and a fantastic chance to imagine a better world.
I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season, and a great 2009.
Jacques Rogge
IOC President

New route: London Gatwick - Copenhagen

Norwegian will 29 March 2009 open a new route from London Gatwick to Copenhagen with two daily flights and low fares starting at GBP 49 one way incl. fees and taxes. The time table is perfect for both business travellers and leisure. “We are pleased to announce this new route to both our business travellers and the leisure market. The time table will give our customers great flexibility,” says CEO of Norwegian Bjorn Kjos. Theodore Koumelis

News from Olympic London

Stadium of steel alters Park skylineThe first steel supports for the Olympic Stadium’s upper tiers of seating have been put in place. Each steel weighs 35-tonne and reaches 35m above the ground, creating a visible landmark for miles around the Olympic Park. Six new cameras on the Olympic Park site now enable everyone to get a bird’s eye view of the work taking place to deliver the venues and infrastructure for the 2012 Games. Each of the new ‘ParkCams’ take pictures regularly throughout the day and automatically appear on our website.

Prostitution in London

In 1862, Henry Mayhew published his analysis of the prostitution business in London. It formed a part of his magnificent survey: London Labour and the London Poor, extracts from which we continue to publish on this site. We begin the serialisation of his "Prostitution in London" with the index. This will be continuously updated as new sections are added, but in the meantime, it will provide a glimpse of the range of data in his report and the depth in which he studied his topic. The Introduction will be posted immediately.

The last head in our classification is "Cohabitant Prostitutes," which phrase must be understood to include:
1. Those whose paramours cannot afford to pay the marriage fees. This is a very small and almost infinitesimal portion of the community, as banns now cost so very little, that it is next to an absurdity to say "a man and woman" cannot get married because they have not money enough to pay the fees consequent upon publishing the banns, therefore this class is scarcely deserving of mention.
2. Those whose paramours do not believe in the sanctity of the ceremony. There may be a few who make their religious convictions an objection to marriage, but you may go a very long journey before you will be able to discover a man who will conscientiously refuse to marry a woman on this ground. Consequently we may dismiss these with a very brief allusion.
3. Those who have married a relative forbidden by law. We know that people will occasionally marry a deceased wife's sister, notwithstanding the anathemas of mother church are sure to be hurled at them. Yet ecclesiastical terrors may have weight with a man who has conceived an affection for a sister-in-law, for whom he will have to undergo so many penalties.
Perhaps parliamentary agitation may soon legitimatize these connections, and abolish this heading from our category of Cohabitant Prostitution.
4. Those who would forfeit their income by marrying, - as officers' widows in receipt of pensions, and those who hold property only while unmarried. This class is more numerous than any of those we have yet mentioned, but it offers nothing sufficiently striking or peculiar to induce us to dwell longer upon it, as it explains itself.
5. Those whose paramours object to marry them for pecuniary or family reasons.
This is a subject upon which it has been necessary to dilate; for it includes all the lorettes in London, and the men by whom they are kept. By lorettes, I mean those I have before touched upon as prima donnas, who are a class of women who do not call going to night-houses in Panton Street walking the Haymarket, and feel much insulted if you so characterize their nocturnal wanderings. The best women go to three or four houses in Panton Street, where the visitors are more select than in the other places, where the door porters are less discriminating. Sometimes women who are violent, and make a disturbance, are kept out of particular houses for months.
Of course, the visits of kept women are made by stealth, as the men who keep them would not countenance their going to such places. Perhaps their men are out of town, and they may then go with comparative safety.
Women who are well kept, and have always been accustomed to the society of gentlemen, have an intense horror of the Haymarket women, properly so called, who promenade the pavement in order to pick up men.
And in reality there is a greater distinction between the two classes than would at first appear. Even if a good sort of woman has been thrown over by her man, and is in want of money, she will not pick up any one at a night-house who may solicit her; on the contrary, she will select some fellow she has a liking for: while, on the other hand, the Haymarket women will pick up any low wretch who she thinks will pay her. She will not even object to a foreigner, though all the best women have a great dislike to low foreigners.
Were I to dwell longer upon this subject it is clear I should merely be recapitulating what I have already said in a former portion of this work.
The following narrative was given me by a girl I met in the Haymarket, when in search of information regarding the prostitution of the West-end of London. Her tale is the usual one of unsuspecting innocence and virtue, seduced by fraud and violence. The victim of passion became in time the mistress of lust, and sank from one stage to another, until she found herself compelled to solicit in the streets to obtain a livelihood. She was about twenty-one years of age, beneath the ordinary height, and with a very engaging countenance. She appeared to be a high-spirited intelligent girl, and gave her sad tale with unaffected candour and modesty. ( http://www.storyoflondon.com/ )

Olympic caffe London

Olympic Cafe serve a variety of beverages and a selection of Oriental dishes throughout the day. Home: 130 Lower Marsh, LambethLondon, SE1 7AE, telephone 020 7928 2806.

Your All In London guide to Lambeth. Find listings for local restaurants, bars, pubs clubs and a business directory. Also see what's on over the coming weeks.The area of Lambeth, which is a central part of the London Borough of Lambeth, is often more commonly known as Waterloo. This is mainly due to Waterloo Railway Station which has become the hub of this southerly borough.Other important landmarks in Lambeth include the Royal Festival Hall, St Thomas’ Hospital and the London Eye. Originally, Lambeth was nothing more than marshland, but during the 19th century the region gained a booming population due primarily to its convenient location within easy travelling distance of Central London.Today, Lambeth is densely populated with both council housing and riverside flats all offering access to transport links and within an easy walking distance of some of London’s main attractions.

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