Fundraiser to skydive for charity

A SKY-DIVING FUND-RAISER will jump from 10,000 feet in support of a charity that has helped her.


Jenni Wormull plans to skydive from10,000
feet to raise money for charity.

Jenni Wormull, 22, of Monkdowns Road, Coggeshall, will skydiving over the Salisbury Plains on the 2^nd March in aid of Sense.

Miss Wormull was born with Charge Syndrome, a condition that affects her sight and hearing.

Sense has supported her over the years and is now helping her overcome the challenges of living independently.

“I wanted to raise money for Sense because I think they are an amazing charity that helps deafblind children and their families get the most out of life.

 “They have helped me to see that it is ok to need help sometimes.”

Sense is a national charity that supports children and adults who are deafblind to reach their potential and maintain their independence.

Miss Wormull will jump alongside another Sense Volunteer, Stacey Smart, 22, from Plymouth. Together they hope to raise £1000.

Anyone wanting to donate should visit www.justgiving.com/staceyandjennie

 

 

Let them eat cake...

Dawn French as Geraldine Granger
in The Vicar of Dibley.

The big piece of news today is that the Church of England has decided to let gay clergy men become bishops.

At last it seems that the Church has realised that diversity and equality within the clergy is a good thing and that the thought of a gay bishop is no more upsetting than Dawn French in the Vicar of Dibley.

But no. There's a catch. Gay members of the clergy will be able to become bishops as long as they remain celibate.

In 2005, the Church ruled that someone in a same-sex civil partnership could become a priest as long as they were celibate. This latest ruling, that will give gay clergymen the right to become bishops, follows the same format – they have to remain celibate.

If the church has backed down on those in civil partnerships becoming vicars and now bishops and is willing to recognise their sexual orientation, then why continue to deny one of the things that is a defining characteristic of that orientation? Of course, being gay – or straight for that matter – does not mean that life revolves around sex, but it is an important part of relationships, both physically and emotionally; forcing someone to give that connection up for a career boost seems both selfish and cruel.

How would the Church be able to tell if someone is telling the truth about what they did last Friday night or not anyway? Are they going to spy on gay bishops? Follow them down the street? Lead them into temptation and take incriminating photographs?

The bishop of Norwich, Rt Rev Graham James, confirmed the decision to allow gay clergymen to become bishops, in an interview with the Independent, but he also added that; “because of the controversy surrounding such appointments, any gay cleric looking to become a bishop would be expected to answer questions on the nature of their celibacy” - something that straight clergymen do not have to do.

Of course, the church forcing someone to take such a quiz could guilt someone into revealing any transgressions but what a patronising, sad and hypercritical farce that would be.

So it seems that, while the church appears to be taking steps to embrace its gay community at last, it is on a slippery slope and hasn’t really made much progress. Yes, they are offering more opportunity to gay members of the clergy but at the same time, deny them of something that defines and is a part of who they are.

In this modern society where gay relationships are openly accepted, civil partnerships are increasing and people feel free to be themselves, rather than living a lie just because of social pressure, no one should have to explain their sexual conquests to anyone, regardless of religion.

And anyway, more to the point, if you're going to let someone have their cake, you might as well let them eat it too?

Left: The villagers in Dibley find out they have a women vicar. The show demonstrates how the church is able to adapt to change, as is it's congreagation's perceptions of women in the clergy. If people can accept a women priest for who she is, then why not a gay bishop?
 

 

Just call me Little Miss Sunshine

2013 in now in session and as usual, in the run up, I made a whole bunch of new year's resolutions that I believed would improve my health, my weight, my friendships and my life as a whole. A new year demands a fresh new approach and by the end result in a whole new me.

However, when I thought about it I realised that they were actually the same as my resolutions for 2012. None of which I achieved or stuck at for very long. In fact, the whole shebang simply caused me to feel miserable and resent the fact that I'd made any resolutions at all. My life did improve in 2012, but this had nothing to do with the little list of rules I made up to follow or the restrictions and demands I placed upon myself. Not only did I fail to lose and keep off the 21 pounds I had decided to lose or fail to run a 5km but these in turn also caused me to flout another of my resolutions - to be happy and healthy with who I am.

Last year, although I am still carrying some of those rogue pounds, I did manage to fit back into a dress I hadn't worn for 4 years and learnt how to dress to suit my shape, as well as exercising more instead of going on yet another fad diet. I may not have managed to run my 5km Race for Life race, but I did raise nearly £800 for Cancer research in the process and made people laugh on the day by dressing up and dancing across the finishing line. I also graduated with a good degree, got a unconditional offer from my university for my Masters degree and found myself 4 work experience placements.

Not really such a bad year all in all.

This year, .

2013 will now be the year when I embrace my achievements rather than focusing on my failures and while I will still aim to improve my lifestyle, I wont weep with misery when it takes a little longer than I thought. Instead of sobbing over a number on the bathroom scales or berating myself for not heading to the gym, I am going to focus on the fact that I am making an effort to eat healthily and walking to uni instead of getting the bus. Rather than stressing out over the amount of uni work I have to do, I am just going to get on with it by taking positive action and asking for help if I need it.

Instead of coming up with some ridiculously high standards that I will come to resent and curse, I have instead decided to celebrate what I achieved last year, do something positive everyday and make an effort to take part in something that may improve someoneelse's life, rather than just my own

Just call me Little Miss Sunshine.

But my main challenge for this year is going to be to take a first aid course. Being able to help someone in this way, whether they have slipped on the steps of the underground and broken a wrist or have collapsed in the street, would be something incredibly positive I could take from 2013. Having lost a grandparent to a sudden heart attack a few years ago, I know how important it is to have certain skills; being able to keep a family member with us, for even a few more minutes, would mean a great deal to me. Bearing all this in mind, learning how to perform CPR correctly could be the most important thing I do this year.

It's going to be busy. It's going to be tough. It's going to be big.

2013 is indeed in session.