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Villa Vision receives £20K from Wesleyan to measure impact of child eye health project
Villa Vision programmes provide access to eye health care for children from deprived areas of Birmingham. 5,500 children have been reached so far. The Wesleyan Foundation and Aston University’s five-year partnership is valued at over £250K The findings of the evaluation will be shared with the Villa Vision team and all partners including participating schools, parents and children. Villa Vision, a project that delivers eye health care to children from deprived areas of Birmingham, has received £20,000 from the Wesleyan Foundation. The money will help evaluate the impact of the project to date which has reached approximately 5,500 children across the West Midlands. Villa Vision programmes are designed to increase access to eye health education, eye screening, eye examinations and to dispense glasses to children who need them with the aim of providing them with the visual foundation to succeed. The Villa Vision project is a collaboration between the Aston Villa Foundation, Aston University and optical lens supplier Essilor Vision For Life. The money donated by Birmingham based Wesleyan, alongside the Aston University funding of almost £15,000, will pay for research assistants to evaluate the first three years of the project. The objectives of the impact evaluation are to: • Review how many children have been screened, detail the coverage of the programme and its reach within the city • Analyse Villa Vision’s data recording children’s eye screening tests and eye examinations • Examine the potential impact on student’s performance on tasks that require attention to detail after being given glasses • Work with children to explore their experience of the Villa Vision programme to help develop the educational part of the programme • Work with teachers to examine the potential impact of corrected vision on children’s classroom behaviour (their integration into class, their reading at distance and close-up, their English and maths) • Work with parents to understand the impact of Villa Vision on their eye health knowledge and the quality of life of the children involved in the programme and the family more generally. The findings of the evaluation will be shared with the Villa Vision team and all collaborating partners as well as participating schools, teachers, parents and children. The findings will also be published in peer-reviewed journals, online and in newsletters to reach interested audiences. Dr Rachel Shaw, a health psychologist in Aston Institute for Health & Neurodevelopment, and project lead, said: “Villa Vision is an inspirational project offering children eye care in their schools. Not only that, Nik Sonpal and Zak El Khalifi from the Villa Vision team, have created an educational, entertaining, and imaginative workshop helping children to understand the importance of eye health, bringing it to life with the help of Aston Villa and a footballing theme.” Leon Davies, professor of optometry and physiological optics in the School of Optometry at Aston University and Vice President of the College of Optometrists said: “The team led by Dr Rachel Shaw with support from Dr Laura Shapiro, Esra Yeter, Sidratul Kazi and myself will provide robust evidence to demonstrate the impact and value of Villa Vision on children’s eye health and education in Birmingham, which we believe will help secure Villa Vision’s long-term future.” Nathan Wallis, Chief of Staff at Wesleyan said: “We are proud to be supporting Villa Vision and its research, they are making a huge difference to the lives of so many primary school children across the West Midlands. It is vital for all children to be given access to good eye care, not just to improve engagement in the classroom but for their overall quality of life and self-confidence. “As a financial service mutual for teachers and doctors it is important to us that we support the things that matter most to our customers and supporting Villa Vision is a great example of this.” Nikhil Sonpal, Villa Vision Project Manager and optometrist at Aston Villa Foundation, said: “Villa Vision and the Aston Villa Foundation are incredibly excited to have the support of both the Wesleyan Foundation and Aston University in helping to establish a deeper understanding of our eye health project. "Not only will this evaluation help unearth the level of impact our intervention is having within the community, but it will also allow us to discover ways to develop our provision further and strengthen our reach when trying to address local inequalities in eye care.”
Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes shortlisted in Student Social Mobility Awards
Pathway to Healthcare programmes shortlisted for University Access Initiative in the 2022 Student Social Mobility Awards University Access Initiative of the Year Award judged by student vote and panel Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes were shortlisted from more than 250 nominations. The Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes have been shortlisted for the University Access Initiative of the Year Award in the 2022 Student Social Mobility Awards. The Pathway to Healthcare programmes which launched in 2016 are designed to raise students’ aspirations, support their attainment, improve progression and provide experiences to enhance UCAS applications when applying for medical and other healthcare courses. During the 18-month programme, students are given the opportunity to take part in healthcare subject taster days, work experience in various healthcare settings and A level revision boot camps. Following the success of the first pathway programme for Year 12/13, the Keith Bradshaw Introduction to Healthcare programme was launched in 2019 to work with key stage three to key stage four students across the West Midlands. The University Access Initiative of the Year Award will be decided by a combination of the Judging Panel’s scores (50%) and the Student Vote (50%). The Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes were shortlisted from more than 250 nominations. Sarah Fullwood, pathways manager at Aston University, said: “We are delighted we have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. “Our pathway programmes are going from strength to strength, despite a sector-wide dip in engagement for widening participation programmes during the pandemic, which is why we were so thrilled to experience an increase in attendance at our pathway events.” “By breaking down barriers for access for disadvantaged students, the programmes play a vital role in building a future workforce that is representative of the community it serves.” The Student Social Mobility Awards are organised by upReach to showcase the achievements of undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds from across the UK. The awards seek to recognise students who have excelled in their studies and beyond and shown great potential to excel as they launch their careers. The focus of the awards is on students who have demonstrated great resilience, determination or initiative, or boosted their employability in innovative ways. They are also a chance to showcase up-and-coming talent and identify rising stars. Award winners and nominees overcome significant socioeconomic barriers and mitigating circumstances, serving as inspiring role models for those from similar backgrounds. The ceremony is due to take place on 21 July at the House of Lords, where the winners will be announced. For more information about the Pathway to Healthcare programmes at Aston University please visit our webpages.
Last month, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island voted to unionize. In the decision's wake, employees across other firms—backed by national labor organizations—are following suit. Villanova University economics professor Cheryl Carleton, PhD, explains that the successful warehouse unionization in New York (a grassroots initiative) is changing the way we view labor unions. "It prevents employees from thinking about unions as just the large existing unions," notes Dr. Carleton. "Workers themselves can coalesce and maintain a unified front to negotiate for what they need from firms." And if unions succeed, firms without unions must compete to entice employees to their operations. As a counterweight to growing unionization efforts, companies have increasingly engaged in the use of intimidation tactics. We see this in the ways firms retaliate against union organizers. "Many large firms that have lots of money and have fostered strong relationships with political powers do not want to let workers have a stronger voice in negotiation of wages, benefits and work rules. They will try to have these unions nullified or intimidate workers not to join them," says Dr. Carleton. "There has been considerable consolidation in industries in the United States, which gives firms a lot more power." And according to economics professor Mary Kelly, PhD, "firms will argue that if they compensate existing [union-represented] workers with higher pay, better benefits and improved working conditions, those higher costs will limit the number of new workers hired, encourage the replacement of some labor with capital/technology if possible and/or 'force' prices higher to consumers." But even if unionization fails, there are still costs to the company. "We see this now with companies increasing the benefits they provide and spending more money to prevent more unionization efforts. The 'spillover' effects of the presence or threat of unions increases cost to firms," says Dr. Carleton. But we still don't know the final economic impact of unionization. "Companies, the stock market and shareholders always respond to change and uncertainty, so when a company unionizes it is a period of uncertainty," says Dr. Carleton. "If the company does unionize, does it create more stability and more profitability? Or does it end up being more costly for the firm? Time will tell!" Despite all the uncertainty, "the idea of unions and the need for unions is still present, and the current labor market situation has given workers the impetus they need," Dr. Carleton says. "Unions are necessary to stand up to industries. Each worker has little power, but combined workers have a stronger voice."
UMW Psychological Trauma Expert Laura Wilson can help with your coverage
It was a typical spring weekend in Buffalo that was shattered by another mass-shooting. The incident was the 198th to be classified a 'mass shooting' in America so far this year. The 18-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket Saturday afternoon was motivated by hate, authorities said. The Tops Friendly Market where the shooting took place is located in the heart of Buffalo’s Black community and 11 of the 13 people shot by the White suspect were Black, officials said. “This was pure evil,” Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia said at a Saturday news conference, calling the shooting a “straight up racially motivated hate crime from somebody outside of our community.” The US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism,” according to a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland. May 16 - CNN Once the news coverage fades, there will still be so many co-workers, first responders and families left to grapple with incidents with this level of trauma and horror. If you are a reporter looking to cover the issues survivors of mass-shooting events might face, then let us help. Dr. Laura Wilson is a clinical psychologist whose expertise focuses on post-trauma functioning, particularly in survivors of sexual violence or mass trauma (e.g., terrorism, mass shootings, combat). Her research interests extend to predictors of violence and aggression, including psychophysiological and personality factors, as well as indicators of PTSD following mass trauma, long-term functioning among first responders, outcomes among survivors of sexual violence and the influence of media on mental illness stigma. Dr. Wilson is available to speak with media, simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
Expert opinion: Why aren't mass shootings considered acts of terrorism?
With tragic news of a mass shooting in Buffalo this past weekend, and along with it evidence that the massacre was racially motivated, some leaders and citizens alike are calling to have this crime considered an act of terrorism. Though that may be the immediate reaction of some, Augusta University's Dr. Lance Hunter, associate professor of political science in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, explains why there's a lot to consider before rushing to brand an action as terrorism. “We argue that it’s very important to consider these acts of domestic terrorism if they fit the definition, because it’s easier for governments to monitor individuals that may possibly carry out these attacks,” said Hunter. “Looking at the incident in Buffalo, in my estimation and based on the evidence that I’ve seen, it fits all the criteria to be considered a form of domestic terrorism.” If that's the case, then why are people reluctant to consider mass shootings an act of terrorism? “I think individuals at times tend to have a preconception that terrorism tends to be something that’s carried out by ISIS or Al Qaeda, or a group of organizations such as that, and if it’s an individual outside of those organizations, it may not be considered terrorism. But when you look at the actions, they clearly fit the criteria for terrorism. Secondly, I think it’s the form of the attack type that does matter a lot, regarding people’s perceptions.” When it comes to domestic terrorism, what about privacy rights? What about an invasion of privacy? "We’re not arguing to create a policy saying we are constantly monitoring people for no reason at all," said Hunter. "What we’re arguing is someone who’s showing extremist tendencies and then also a tendency to possibly violently harm people, are there warning signs? In a lot of cases of mass murders, there are warning signs. If these individuals are monitored more closely, it’s not 100% guarantee these attacks will be prevented, but the likelihood will be much greater it could have possibly been prevented and we’ve seen this throughout a lot of cases and our research.” Dr. Lance Hunter is an assistant professor of political science with a background in international relations. His research focuses on how terrorist attacks influence politics in democratic countries and how political decisions within countries affect conflicts worldwide. Hunter is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Will out of this world ideas be the next big thing for Florida's tourism industry?
Look up. That's where you may find the next billion-dollar tourism idea in America. Space tourism seems to be the next frontier for the industry to conquer. With a price tag of at least $50,000 per customer, the potential is huge. With companies like World View test launching in Florida and Space Perspective already headquartered in the Sunshine State, Florida is on the verge of being a destination for tourists looking to go out of this world. The concept sounds impressive, but there still are questions: • Will customers line up for a $50,000 price-point? • How big (or small) is the market for potential customers? • Is it safe and what are the liabilities? • And, if it takes off, what will the ripple effect be for Florida with an influx of high-end tourists? If you are a journalist covering the potential impact of space tourism in Florida, let us help. Peter Ricci, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor and director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. He is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 20 years of managerial experience in segments including food service, lodging, incentive travel and destination marketing. Peter is available to speak with the media about space-travel tourism as well as other topics such as the labor shortage in hospitality and tourism. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.
Metaverse...have you met AcceleRoute?
The Internet is a testament to the power of evolution. But there's a bigger picture looming. A discontinuity. Driven by a new breed of application environments including the Metaverse, multi-player gaming, VR and more. Will this drive the need for a "new Internet"? Many believe, as a minimum, networking will need a serious upgrade. Moore's Law can cover us for throughput for awhile, but latency is a different story. The speed of light creates the limit. No getting around that. There is only one solution. Park the services closer to the users. And that ushers in a new architectural paradigm in the form of Edge Data Centers. Those facilities will operate in global federations, serving tight geographies while hot-syncing with each other. A tidy solution. Job done, right? Not so fast. If people only cared about what and who is geographically close to them, we might be ok. Remember we need to park the services AND THE DATA close to the users. We're not talking about old slow data like websites, but the fast stuff like fast-twitch gaming, or VR, or avatar movements in the Metaverse. How can a byte in Tokyo stay in "white-hot" sync with a byte in London? Predictive caching, that's how. The new frontier. The geography-buster. Let's say you’re VR-interacting with someone across the planet, there will be a lag. It won't feel real. But what if the application servers use laws of physics to predict far-end movement for local render, with algorithms to reconcile laggy incoming real-position data. Done right, that might feel real. Take that example and scale it in all directions. That's the future. Can incrementally-evolved networks handle that? Its anybody's guess what the future of networking will look like but let's try anyway. Some believe this brave new application world will be the catalyst for significant infrastructure change. Not the " N+1" kind, but the "all-new" kind. The kind we thought we'd never need because incremental upgrades were getting it done. But that was before the Metaverse discontinuity. AcceleRoute is a forward-thinking next-generation network architecture designed for this category of challenge. All-new thinking. Designed from the ground up around a bufferless core architecture, AcceleRoute achieves network throughput and latency on a scale not seen before. Bufferless means no hops. Essentially an endless supply of instantly provisioned virtual direct links, each with as much dynamic bandwidth as needed at any point in time. Incorporating novel paradigms like network fusion and expansion by constellations, AcceleRoute can scale to new orders of magnitude, all while embracing absolute simplicity for network control and management. An infinitely-expandable network, based on new principles, that can glue CPUs/DPUs/GPUs to globalized data with one seamless fabric. Perhaps a full AcceleRoute solution won't be required, but it’s likely the pursuit of network optimizations will be relentless. AcceleRoute represents 2 decades of invention embodied by 36 patents with over 700 claims and more on the way. That's a massive starting position for anyone playing the long game.
STORY: National Slow Down, Move Over Day: Protect the Protectors
Every year, tow truck operators are injured or killed by passing vehicles. In 2015, CAA advocated for the government to include tow trucks in the Slow Down, Move Over legislation in Ontario. This means that when approaching an emergency vehicle or tow truck with flashing amber lights stopped on the side of the road, drivers must slow down and, where it is safe to do so, change lanes. To raise awareness, CAA National and all clubs across the federation recognizes the second Tuesday of May as National Slow Down, Move Over Day. This day acts as a reminder for drivers to slow down and move over for first responders and stopped tow trucks with flashing amber lights. This year, CAA Club Group has launched a new campaign called, Protect the Protectors. The goal of this campaign is to remind drivers that while tow truck operators are working to protect people stranded at the side of the road, we need to do our part and protect them by slowing down and moving over. Learn more: https://www.caasco.com/advocacy/road-safety/slow-down-move-over
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report It sets out ten evidence-based recommendations for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) including increasing their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion The report is being launched at a special event on 10 May at NatWest Conference Centre in London with keynote speaker Sir Trevor Philips OBE. A new report from Aston University has set out a plan for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in the UK. The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report which sets out ten evidence-based recommendations to promote greater success and inclusion of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in finance and business support in the UK. Experts say the implementation of the recommendations could help tackle the multiple barriers faced by EMBs, particularly in accessing finance, markets and quality business support, and could increase their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion, highlighting the significant potential of EMBs to the UK economy. The report says that to combat racial inequality, there should be a UK-wide support for ethnic led businesses should be a standard feature of all future plans. This includes integrating them into broader policy agendas of inclusive growth, productivity and innovation. A more inclusive approach to enterprise is key to tackling wider social structural barriers such as unequal access to employment opportunities and product markets, and gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Concerted action is needed to support the growth ambitions of EMBs, particularly in light of damaging consequences of the pandemic for ethnic minority communities. The report calls for a strong action to eliminate the longstanding challenge of discouragement of ethnic minority entrepreneurs from seeking finance and business support. It found EMBs have been particularly hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the sectors in which they tend to operate and recommends recovery support is focussed on the businesses that need it most. The report also highlights the need for greater accountability of organisations across public, private and third sectors, including business support agencies, finance providers and large purchasing organisations, for their business engagement with EMBs. Professor Monder Ram, director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, said: “This major report sets out an ambitious yet practical agenda to realise the potential of UK’s ethnic minority businesses. “The entrepreneurial ambition of ethnic minorities can play a crucial role in the UK Government’s vision of ‘Levelling Up’ prosperity across regions, promoting trade opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ and creating a more cohesive society. “Drawing on the latest research and examples of international best practice, the report presents a comprehensive approach to tackling the barriers faced by firms owned by ethnic minority communities. “We pinpoint key challenges and present recommendations – informed by extensive consultation with business support practitioners and entrepreneurs – that invite policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to collaborate in a new partnership to advance entrepreneurial activities and the UK’s diverse communities.” The report calls for central government and local decision makers to develop clear objectives for inclusive entrepreneurship, informed by evidence, and ensure that EMBs can access quality business support that helps them grow. Dr Eva Kašperová, a research fellow at CREME, said: “To address the barriers faced by EMBs and help them realise their entrepreneurial potential will require commitment and leadership from the government as well as local business support ecosystem actors. “The current lack of an explicit UK-wide policy on inclusive entrepreneurship could mean that some parts of the country are left behind in terms of tackling structural inequalities and enabling entrepreneurs from ethnic minority communities and other under-represented or disadvantaged groups to access finance, wider markets and quality business support. “If past experience is a guide, ensuring commitment from key stakeholders may be the biggest challenge.” Andrew Harrison, head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we’re committed to championing small businesses and supporting growth, but we know that there are barriers which disproportionately affect Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs). “This is why we aim for at least 20% of the places on our 13 nationwide accelerator hubs to be for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In 2021, 26% of businesses in our hubs were EMBs. “Only close collaboration can deliver meaningful change to ensure EMBs get the support they need to reach their full potential. Now is the time to accelerate action, and at NatWest we commit to playing an integral role in the change that is required.” The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) will share this report, inviting policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative and strategic partnership to champion enterprise and advance entrepreneurial activities and the UKs diverse communities, further building an inclusive entrepreneurial eco-system supporting businesses to thrive at a launch event at NatWest Conference Centre in London on 10 May.
#Expert Insight: Practice sound business practices, especially amid high inflation
Understanding your market is of the utmost importance in a time with high inflation. Dr. Richard Franza, dean of the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, said business owners should always be examining processes to make sure they are as cost-effective as possible. But also, make sure to keep the customer in mind. “You have to understand where your price fits in with all the other components of your products,” said Franza. “You mustn’t spend money on elements that are not important to your customer. Cut your costs in a way that doesn’t affect the customer experience.” Being aware of everything when business is on an uptick is as important when times aren’t the best. “If you look at the processes when times are good, then you have a lot more flexibility with your margins. Understanding your market is important. Understand how you compete – is it through cost, quality, speed or customization? Understand where you’re better or worse than your competitors." When it comes to the service industry, businesses need to pay special attention to those dealing with the customers. “Understand that while you have to run your back room efficiently, you have to concentrate on your front room where you do interact with customers. Be focused on the experience of the customer. You may want to spend a little extra on the people you hire to interact with your customers; they’re your ‘face,’” added Franza. While inflation may be affecting everyone and every business, it’s important to remember one thing. “Be true to your brand. Your loyal customers are coming to you because of that.” If you're looking to know more about this important topic, then let us help. Franza is available to speak with media about trending issues like inflation, small business and the economy – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
