Alert

July 2008
“I had bulimia”
o
It affects boys to

CRIME
how to
stay safe

o u ’ r e F i r e d
Y didate
x - A p p r e n tice can
E o a r droom
n t h e b
Ghazal i

in g
n n
re e
R u f ta
wh
l k
y
ing
e
y b o
ver t par
a bou
d y
k
’s
o ur
 ARE YOU
A BUDDING
PHOTOGRAPHER?

Then you’ll want to know about our

monthly photography competition. The
theme this time is “climate change”.
Send in your shots to:
photography@alertmagazine.org.uk

The best ones will be featured in Alert.

Thank you to all our supporters

Editor: Jasmin Qureshi; Deputy Editor: Kevin Dolak; Designer: George Norton; Sub-Editor: Emmanuelle Smith
 Welcome to the first issue of Alert
magazine! Alert brings you the latest news
relevant to you, such as new laws directly
affecting your lives. We also look, in depth,
Contents
at the issues that concern you.
When putting together this issue, the
Alert team went out on the streets, to
local hang-outs, and to schools, to survey
young people about what they most care or
worry about. Top of the list were crime and
gangs. It’s an unfortunate fact that young
people are often victims of crime. So for
our feature, Wanna be in my Gang? (p8),
we spoke to young people who have been
affected by crime in different ways to find
out what advice they have for you.
There is so much negative stereotyping
in the media suggesting that you don’t
care about our society. But we say: don’t
put all young people into the same, very
unjust category. In this issue we interview
actor Ed Speleers, businesswoman and
ex-Apprentice candidate Ghazal Asif, and
weightlifting talent Zoe Smith, all of whom
have achieved great things at a young
age. We rarely hear these kinds of stories
in the press. So stand up to “youth-ism”
and tell us if you see anything in the press
badmouthing young people unfairly. We
want to campaign against this (see the back
page for how to get involved).
Why set up a new magazine just for you?
Well, we thought you needed a platform
to debate your concerns and express your
opinions. We want this magazine to belong
to you, so please get in touch with your
ideas for what we should be talking about,
and how we should go about it.

We hope you enjoy the first issue!

editor@alertmagazine.org.uk

12 Mental health froem

News the issues a boys’ perspectiv 19 Ed Speleers on
4
that affect you Eragon, acting, and
female attention
14 NHS how it
changed our lives
8 Crime an ex-offender
shares his experiences 20 Parkour the craze
goes official
16 US elections who could
be the next president and
The Apprentice Ghazal why does it matter?
Front cover image: Andy Day

11
Asif talks business
22 Olympics our young
18 Culture new sporting talents
books and music
 NEWS ALERT

Practical learning
Diplomas are a new qualification for 14 to 19
Fighting for the right to vote
year olds. They will launch in a small number of Julie Morgan, the Labour MP for Cardiff
schools and colleges in September, before North, presented a bill to parliament asking
spreading to the rest of the country over the next that the voting age be reduced from 18 to
four years.
They provide a real alternative to traditional 16. This has been discussed for some time,
education, which doesn’t suit everyone. They but the bill may make it one step closer to
combine practical learning with key skills such as happening.
English, Maths and ICT. A “higher level” diploma It is often said that young people aren’t
interested in politics – but one reason for
is worth three-and-a-half A-Levels.
Subjects available include Creative and
Media, Construction and the Built Environment, that might be that they don’t get a say,
Information Technology, and Engineering. even on decisions that affect them.
Last month, Schools Minister Jim Knight
(pictured) announced that there would be £81
For example, at 16, you are allowed to
million of extra funding to help teachers deliver leave home and get a job. If you work, you
the new Diploma. He said, “it’s vital that the have to pay taxes, but you have no say on
workforce is ready for the changes we are making what those taxes are spent on until you can
to how children learn and the options they have
after the age of 14.” vote, at 18.
In the House of Commons, Morgan said:
*CUT IT OUT* “I have spoken to many young people and
been so impressed with their enthusiasm.
crime mean
New guidelines for knife caught
They are the hope for the future – let us
anyone under the age of
16 put some trust in them and give
ife wi ll no w automatically them the vote at 16.” Go Julie!
carrying a kn
rs will risk a
be prosecuted. Offende
r years. The
jail sentence of up to fou a rash of

Young Brits
er
change was rushed in aft country.
ro ss th e
- I’ll drink to that -
youth stabbing s ac
yo un g pe rso n found
Previously, a
ued a caution or

get raw deal

carrying a knife was iss
urising for the
warning. Police are press law, rather
new rule to be made int
oa
be iss ue d as guidance. This
than merely
officers dealing
will give more power to The United Nations
with knife crime.
released a report on
standards in the UK
saying that British
children are being
“demonised” by
society. Signs banning
children from shops
“reinforce the negative
stereotypes that are held
about children in our
society”, says the report,
written by the children’s
commissioners for
England, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland.
The commissioners,
appointed to ensure
policy-makers recognise
children’s rights, added
A Youth Alcohol Action Plan has been launched by
the government. Its aims include:
that
more British 1) To stop under-18s from drinking in public. Home
children were scared in Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “If you can’t buy
their neighbourhoods alcohol, you shouldn’t be able to drink it in public
than other European either.”
young people. In 2) To inform parents of the risks of alcohol, and
addition, they feel more how much is safe for children to drink.
pressure at school, drink 3) To help young people make positive decisions.
Images (l-r): William Wats; International Institute for Sustainable Development
more alcohol and suffer “Learning to drink sensibly is part of growing up,”
says the plan
from worse mental
health. Marketing
Did you know?
pressures, exam stress • Kids over the age of five are allowed to
and the low age of drink at home with their parents.
criminal responsibility • When you’re 16, you can drink beer,
were among other causes cider or perry with a meal in a
cited by the report: “Too restaurant – but only if it’s bought
many children are being for you.
criminalised and brought • It’s illegal for anyone under 18 to
into the youth justice buy alcohol – and if you try, you
system at an increasingly could be fined £1000.
young age.”

4 5
 In a nutshell

you’re not GORDON IN

th e pa pe rs or wa tching the news when POWER
Read ing
can be at best slightly
confusing, – ONE YEA
familiar with the issues
rig ht bo ring. In a Nutshell give
s you some R ON –
and at wo rst do wn ke keeping At the start of G
er y month, which should ma before the Iraq
ordon Brown’s
le
ba ck gr ou nd inf o ev esting war. It’s been on adership, Labour had its bigges
a wh ol e lo t ea sie r, an d hopefully more inter has suffered a se e year since Bro t lead over the C
informed ries of setbacks w on
. Alert looks ba n took over from Tony Blair, an servatives since
ck at the highs an d in that time, he
The highs d lows.
After two attem
FUELS
NEW RULES FOR BIO
pt
after Brown cam ed terrorist attacks in London an
e
bombs were foun to power – the new PM was pr d Glasgow at the end of June la
d in London, an ai st
This year, the government made
new rules terminal. d two men tried sed for his calm and reassuring year – just days
to ram a burnin
now contain g car into Glasg response. Two car
meaning that all car fuels must ow Airport’s mai
fue ls. Devastating floo n
at least some bio ds hit England in
control in a cris th e su m m er of ’0
is.
ms, emergency aid. He visited some of the worst-h 7 and, again, Brown showed he
Biofuels come from living organis it areas and reas
cor n. The reas on for the sured people th could take
such as wheat or ey would receiv
ern men t say s, is that The lows e
regulations, the gov
on neu tral (the y rele ase When Brown fi
these fuels are carb rst
on dio xid e whe n they called; but he w came to power, there was a lo
only as much carb as criticised t of speculat
burn as was used to make the orig
inal oil the time showed when he ruled out an early elec ion that a general election wou
Labour’s lead ov tion ld be
by photosynthesis ). er the Conservat in October. Three opinion po
ives to be dimin lls at
Northern Rock ishing.
patrick, As the global cr
The Transport Minister, Jim Fitz ed
says that using mo re bio fue ls wil l reduce of England for an it crunch took hold, Northern R
oc
pollution. Why, then , are env iron mental had borrowed m emergency loan. Northern Roc k bank was forced to ask the
fuels, ost of the cash it k got into financ Bank
became unwilli ia
ng to continue le was lending (as mortgages) from l difficulty because it
test ing aga inst bio
campaigners pro
if they’re so gre at? Som e peo ple thin k Brown was accu nding. world markets,
se who
that the crops use d to mak e the fue l Causing a stir: fuel from fields
uncertainty abou d of dithering over the fate of
t whether a priv Northern Rock.
should go towards feeding people
who government wou ate The
ld have to nation company would buy out the ba re was
ing our alise it. The bank nk
was finally nati or if the
are starving, rath er than mak
cars run. Donations scan on alised in Februar
dal y.
The police inve
ed to make space for the stigated secret do
Also, rainforests are being destroy middlemen (so
the
nations of £600
,000 given to L
ing a lot of wildlife, along with Pensions Secreta donors wouldn’t be identified abour via
biofuel crops, and this is destroy

Alert
ry, was forced to ). P
animals’ natural habitats. £100,000 of dona resign because eter Hain, the Work and
tions. he had delayed
declaring more
than
Personal record
s loss
The governmen
t ad
M M M M M . 
  .
.  C R E D IT CRUNCH . . . huge embarrassm mitted losing the personal reco
ent in Novembe rd
r and December s of 25 million people, causin
M dit”); or a sudden Local elections
2007. g
s (or “cre
uction in the availability of loan
No, it’s not a new cereal, but a red In sho rt, ban ks are hoarding cash. Not so Labour suffered
from the banks. bi
increas e in the cos t of obt aini ng a loan
ts (i.e. your house) used for losses in 40 year g time in the local elections ac
s to hap pen whe n ban ks lose faith in the value of asse s. They lost in th ross the country
s tend was replaced by e –
the Conservativ London mayoral election, as K their worst
tasty. Thi s.
’s central bank raises interest rate
these loans; or when the country e candidate, Bor
is Johnson.
en Livingstone
er, and so do we. Banks 10p tax
n tho ugh ? In a cred it crunch, financial institutions suff
What doe s it mea t a business. A credit A policy change
to lend mo ney , so it’s harder to say, buy a house, or star le
of the 10p tax ba ft millions of the UK’s lowest
are less wil ling and housing and job
eral pub lic by spilling over onto the high street, nd meant that th ea
ose with incom rners worse off. The scrapping
crunch affe cts the gen on a monthly mortgage. And lost up to £232
r par ents own your house, more money is paid a year. Those af
fected saw this
es lower than £1
change as a way 8,500 per year
markets . If you or you fund other priori
h to spare. ties.
people may not have so much cas for Labour to
Images (l-r): Keesta; Wikipedia images

other unnecessary expenses.

cred it cru nch you ’ll see less spending on luxuries or
Ultima tely , in a affect you – and things
plu s side , if you hav e a goo d credit rating, the crunch may not
On the
have elsewhere.
haven’t hit the UK as hard as they Pictured (top to
bottom): Gordo
(Chancellor of n Brown, Tony
the Exchequer) Blair, Alistair D
and Jacqui Smith arling
(Home Secretar
y)

6 7
Crime

WANNA
BE IN MY
GANG?
ll say to
u negative stuff. They wi
, are going to be telling yo u’r e gre at. But I
rker at the St Giles Trust
But the young
man, we think yo
et y. Junior Smart, Youth Wo rs in Southwark, south you, ‘Yeah, we love you
as a da ng er to so ci for me, I wa nt yo u to cle an that gun
e always painted eaks to peo- want you to carry drugs
ende
works with young ex-off to them.’
Youth crime and gangsosare most at risk of harm. Jasmin Qureshi spw
ople not to me I want you to step
he ha s he lped nearly 50 young pe for me. If someone steps ng that
ays we can
on . So far thi
Lond ga ng s: in control never do any
people involved are th t the other side and finds out some everyday
advice on av oid ing
to re-offend. Here’s his It’s a fool’s game. Those to do tha t.
the young people
carries any risk; they get
ple who have come ou
with Ca n yo u tru st the m?
who had been involved nds are .
Find out who your real frie especially when they have
“I’ve been helping a guy l times,
protect ourselves
sev era
. He’s been in prison uble –
Are they a magnet for tro When they are beefing about
gangs since the age of 12 and cha ng e his life. e?
ve that world dri nk or sm ok
about “youths” committin es
g but now he’s trying to lea re had a bit to
do they drag you in? If yo
ur friends
ause his old associates we

T
bus While the media rages on peo ple the ms elv One time, he called me bec were beating somebody up and som eth ing or som eon e,
the n it’s time to
uting on the number 31 crimes, many forget that
it’s often yo un g
are encouraging you to do
negative thi ng s,
he roar of young men sho Ca md en, No rth ding to last year’s Britis
h Cr ime ey
committing an assault. Th in. I could hear this guy getting
my way to at the receiving end. Accor cut them loose. For good
.
was deafening. I was on at ris k, wi th we re ask ing him to joi n
like, being treated unfairly, or
you
the ear ly eve nin g when a group of about Survey, young men aged
16 to 24 were most
t year,
they
ld hea r the se old associations being If yo u are bei ng bu llie d,
London, in ng them violent crime. From nex punched, and I cou lic e?’ find someone yo u can tru st, who
ed down the stairs. Chasi 13.8 per cent experi enc ing ing, are you calling the po feel there is no way out,
eight teenage boys storm der-16s, hig hli gh tin g con cer ns ‘come on what are you do victim, and then for the client to them to loo k at yo ur op tio ns.
holding a knife. the survey will include un the genuinely cares, and talk
was another teenage boy lder lnerable. Young People and Cr ime, My first thought was for bility for ed to tak e the m.
the bus, leaving the knife-ho that young people are vu g he’ll have to take responsi need There are always alternati
ves. Be pre par
The group jumped off yo un g ma n loo ked vey, showed that yo un g peo ple who becaus e if he do es wr on
I tol d him , ‘yo u s from other places, the thi
ngs that
drove off, the a 2005 Home Office sur of the area, so tho se thi ng
behind. As the bus driver e bef ore . He thr ew it on me, drugs, or gan gs are oft en it. He had to just get out rem ov ed to a pla ce of You can get
nment needs to spe ak to yo ung
er seen on
at the knife as if he’d nev “I’m really sorry about that get involved in violent cri factors to go, now.’ Then we had
to get him gangs offer you. The gover . They should be empowered
and live in poor areas. Other any repercussions. He go t mo ved ice
the floor in disgust and sai
d, from unstable fam ilie s sch ool, or safety in case there were people and give them a vo going wrong. You can make
o had been upstairs, went
up to re, drugs, dropping out of n to a hostel. He’s gone
on to do a s are
” A wo ma n, wh involved are peer pressu to his girlfriend’s and the to tell them wh ere thi ng m that’s
eve ryo ne.
back. “Are yo u ok ?” she asked. It do. he’s in full-time em plo ym ent now. aren’t going to be a proble has
him and patted him on the been threatening this boy with simply having nothing to ding lot of positive stuff and changes that way. Gangs ati on
wa ys of staying safe and fin dis agr eem ent , a dispute, ernight. This wh ole situ
turned out that the group
had
them. But there are alw ays
if yo u fee l yo u’re in a If you see a situation bre
wing – a
end just going to disappear ov to tak e at lea st that
he had managed to get it off alternatives to gangs and
crime, eve n k. A lot of young peo ple
taken a long time to build
, and it’s go ing
a knife, bu t in his pan ic
sons that youn g peo ple turn to . Alert speaks to an ins pir ational or a fight – take a step bac y dec ide d to dissipate.” u
prison, because the
Images (l-r): St Giles Trust; Jasmin Qureshi

Protection is one of the rea ns do n’t gu arantee situation you can’t escape ender, and other young people up wounded or worse, in s’. amount of time for it to
apo off ‘defend their end
ns. But we
gangs or to carrying weapo cent of knives are turned on youth worker, a young ex- ‘represent their name’ or
any on e worried about crime. gang a lot of people aroun
d you
personal safety – up to 60
per to get their advice for If you’re inv olv ed in a
the owner .

Junior (above, left): helps ex-offenders Junaid, James, and Samsidi (above, l-r):
turn away from crime for good Overcoming postcode conflict through basketball

8 9
 Junior (left) with a client

ving
prison in March after ser r’s
Daniel*, 21, came out of ain e. W ith Ju nio James and Samsidi (l-r)
selling coc
a three year sentence for get his life together. He
no w try ing to
support, he’s
use his exp eri en ce to help prevent other
wants to
king the same mistakes.
young people from ma I
en I was 15. That’s when
“My parents broke up wh s no aut ho rity fig ure Organisation (HWYO)
Haringey Warriors Youth
There wa
think things went wrong. .I postcode conflicts in a
bec aus e my dad left and it all broke down operates in the midst of
in my life north London. Through
age of 17. disadvantaged area of
started selling about the like ip project, young people
in the wr ong crowd and it looked basketball and a leadersh ether and keep away from
I got mixed up go nn a do thi s’, it just tog
from rival groups come
nk ‘I’ m
a nice lifestyle. I didn’t thi ryo ne’ s ers – Samsidi N’gyou, 14
;
it, it’s around you, eve crime. Here, three me mb
happened. You’re just in any thi ng wr ong. Junaid Mc Cl ym on t, 17 – tal k
lise you’re doing James Bagan, 17; and
doing it so you don’t rea I wo uld say , ‘Ju st the “street life”.
ar-old me about how they avoided
If I could talk to the 17-ye yo ur fut ure .’ Yo u hav e m Wood Green and Tottenh
am you
about Samsidi: “If you’re fro
be your own person, think are really good friends. If But you can com e tog eth er and
to think if peo ple aro un d yo u
ng, have beef with each other. . I live in Tottenham but I
s are getting into the wrong thi communicate here at HW
YO
you see that your friend ing to end up in the of that. I could have, but
when
you’re just go ed wi th all
and you’re carrying on, nn a han g aro un d peo ple don’t get inv olv
ngs everyone tog eth er eve n if
same position as them. If
you wa I come here it helps. It bri ent to ou t on
nn a be in jai l, wh at’s gonna happen to you? th. you’re from different are
as. Here, it’s differ
that’s go
It’s the closest thing to dea bri ng s peo ple closer.”
Prison is not a nice place. l, the streets and it
your face, you can’t exa
ctly run
own room – five by six cel Junaid: “If someone’s in
You’re just alone in your nic e yo u can tou ch yo ur t’s what the polic e exp ect you to
toilet next to your head.
It’s no t
to do all the away and phone 999 – tha e you while you’re running
u’re being told what do. Can they really com
e sav
toilet from your bed. Yo life.
u app reciate the little things in away from som eth ing ?
time. It does make yo go so I spe nt my g into dangerous situation
s. If
where to But you can avoid gettin
When I came out I had no mbers trying to get a place to be trouble after sch oo l, lik e if
first day of fre edo m rin gin g nu you know there’s going peo ple you
I ran g all the ho ste ls my probation gave me. I you know a gang of boys
is coming to bea t up
. Or if
to stay. night uld just go straight home
. It was getting late that hang round with, you sho
tried the council. Nothing in my dia ry bec ause wnstairs near the driver
wh ere it’s
numbers you’re on a bus, stay do
so I was going through the he the start, not when the y’r e in fro nt
. I came across Junior and few safer. You avoid it from
I didn’t know what to do a life of lea vin g
suaded her to let me stay of your face. I stayed aw
ay from the str eet
talked to my mum and per at my life would be like if ng , selling. I weighed up my
options
wh ste ali
nights. I don’t even know It school, robbin g, ma ke X
ior ’s sup po rt. He was the last thing. and thought, ‘ok I could
drop out of school and
I didn’t have Jun the re’s peo ple it do n’t tur n X amount of thing s. Or I can stay
. But amount of money doing
turned out alright for me . e, do a hobb y I enj oy. ’ Yo u can
ey go back to crime in school, occupy my tim it’s not guaranteed because
out alright for though. Th the
son I have to stay away from do ing cri me bu t
Now I’m out of pri Bu t I do n’t get aff ected earn money
yo u eventually.”
und with. go nn a fin d
people I used to hang aro ow n the polic e are
ball and that’s what’s
I’m a bit older, more my James: “I like to play bas ket
by peer pressure anymore. som eth ing d of getting in trouble, sel
ling
to persuade me to do kept me occupied instea
person. If someone tried d som eth ing yo u
I’m trying to go straight. drugs, stuff like that. Yo
u need to fin
now I wouldn’t do it. rk out there for everyone. Th e
I want to do the sort of wo like. There’s something
I want to do youth work, nn a community projects and
the effect it has and I wa government need to giv e
Junior ’s doing. I’ve seen was rtain people don’t come
here
y he made me feel, he really activities more money. Ce
make people feel the wa .”
that for others because they can’t afford
it.”
there for me. I want to do
d
*Name has been change

You’re
FIRED
Ghazal Asif was the youngest ever Apprentice candidate
when she took part in the series last year. At only 24,
she’s launching a clothing range for the “modern Asian
woman”. Here, she shares her expertise
What advice do you have for people
wanting to get into business?
The main thing is to know what you
want to do – it’s got to be something
you’re passionate about, otherwise you
won’t do things properly. Make use
of the resources available to you –
organisations such as the Prince’s Trust,
and government-funded bodies.
But trust your own instincts. A lot of
these schemes will want you to play it
safe, but business is sometimes about
taking risks. Go for what you believe in.
Sir Alan Sugar said you were too
young. Was your age often seen as a
problem?
All the time. But I’ve set up a fashion
label at the age of 24. It’s going to be
launched in every city in the UK. I was
22 when I applied to The Apprentice
and my family were saying to me,
“there will be people 10 years older than
you applying, what are the chances?”
but I listened to my gut feeling.
Images: The Model Team
Why did you want to go into
business?
It’s always fascinated me – the
flexibility and freedom of working for
INTERVIEW
yourself. Also, whatever you put in, you doesn’t actually achieve anything long
see the fruits of your labour. It’s not like term. My good friend Tre Azam from
working in a big company and people the show told me, “don’t mistake fame
above you are benefiting from your hard for success,” and he’s right.
work. At the same time I think it’s good
to work for a company for two or three You said that your goal is to be a
years to get an insight into how things millionaire by the time you’re 30.
are done – and how not to do things! Does that still stand?
Were you really enterprising I think you should dream big. I want
at school? to have that financial freedom because I
don’t want to be in the rat race all my life.
No, not at all, I was really shy. I was I just want to be financially stable,
into art, drawing and painting. I wasn’t especially with all the rising interest
one of those people who went off and rates. I want to have the choice not to
set up a tuck shop. It just goes to show work when I’m older, and I want to
that you can develop your skills and travel and have a family.
interests at any age.
How has your heritage
What did you learn on the show? influenced you?
It was a real indicator of the things It’s been a fantastic influence. My
I need to develop. You can become parents came over from Pakistan when
complacent when you’re just working they were teenagers and they had to
for a company. It completely took work very hard here. I’ve been
me out of my comfort zone. It influenced by their work
showed me I’ve got a lot to ethic of hard graft and
learn about marketing for long hours.
example. It also opened Also Asian
a lot of doors for me – families have
I can go to businesses very strong
and they recognise family values so
my name; I’m they are there
more likely to get a for me when I
response. get stressed out
with work.
Is it necessary It’s really
to be a celebrity important because
nowadays to if you’re stressed
succeed? in business, you’re
not going to
No. Going to achieve.
glitzy events Interview by
was fun but it Jasmin Qureshi
11
 tal health ...what     you need to know
M EN
Mental health problems can affect anyone, but it IS possible to get through them.
Michael*, 21, tells Emmanuelle Smith about how he recovered from bulimia
I
t was my sister Jo who first noticed
I was bulimic. She was only 12, but
obviously more clued-up on these
things than my mum. She came into
my room one evening and just started
crying. I asked her what was wrong and
it all came out: “I know what you’re
doing, Michael. I know you’re
bulimic.”
“Just talking about it helped
I was so taken aback, especially
by that word, “bulimic”, coming
from my little sister, that I didn’t
me realise that I needed to
get over it somehow”
even deny it. To me, bulimia was
something that only girls got.
I knew I had a problem, but I
hadn’t really admitted to myself that it
was that. But Jo was right.
“It’s true,” I said. I started crying too,
and Jo gave me a massive hug. “You
have to tell mum, Michael. You have
to or I will,” she said, firmly. I knew at
that point that I would get better.
The first time I made myself sick,
I had to stick two fingers down my
throat. For about half an hour I couldn’t
go through with it. But I knew I had to
12
My struggle with
bulimia
get rid of all the food I’d just eaten, or
it would make me fat. Over the next
ten months, having done it over and
over again, I didn’t need the fingers
anymore. I just had to think about it,
and I’d vomit.
I was 14, and looking back, pretty
slim and muscly. But when I was a kid
I’d been chubby, and I’d had to work
hard to get to where I was. I started
caring about my body when I was 11
and went to secondary school. Some
older boys teased me about my weight.
I started watching what I ate and
running three times a week. I didn’t just
want to be thin, I wanted to be fit, buff.
It was around the time my parents got
divorced that I started bingeing. I guess
HEALTH
on so no one could hear.
I felt ashamed about what I was
counsellor, Mark, was a
man in his fifties. At first
We hear a lot about girls who suffer
eating disorders, but more and more
from
boys are
in fou r peo ple who
doing but just didn’t know how to stop it felt like talking to my also affected – today, one
ia or bulimia
are diagnosed with either anorex
the bingeing. And there was no way I dad or something, but I
was going to stop throwing up if I was soon realised he really ny more
still bingeing. I had to stay slim. understood and cared is a young man, and there may be ma
problem.
After my sister found out, I did about my problems, and it who go unnoticed. It’s not a women’s
REAL LIFE:
tell mum and she took me to our GP, became easy to talk.
who prescribed Prozac and suggested I got back into exercise,
counselling. The Prozac helped control and learned about healthy Depression is
my binges. I was on it for 18 months. eating on my course. In affects one in a common illness, whic
h
lives. No-on five of us at some point
I decided I didn’t want counselling,
because I couldn’t bear the thought of
talking to someone I didn’t even know
my second year, I even
represented my university
at rowing, a sport I’d never
of people wit
recovery aft
e
h
sh
d
o uld fear it, th
epression e v a st m
in our
ajority
about stuff they probably wouldn’t done before. Now, I eat er appropria will make a full
understand. On my own, I managed to
stop making myself sick.
Unfortunately, when I was 16, I
normally, and do loads of
activity. But when I feel like pigging
out, I just do, without the guilt or the
te treatment.
iew
found another way to deal with feeling being sick afterwards, because
h a s c o m m is sioned a rev
ent h
stressed and unhappy, and that was I know I’m not suddenly
The governm dolescent Mental Healt t
cutting myself. Sometimes I felt as going to get really fat. n d A in g a
though I was going to explode with Now, I’m fit and healthy of Child a h o w w
o
ell they’re d They’re
se e eople.
sadness, or with anger, and cutting and enjoying my final year at Services to e d s of young p you have
n g th e n e If
myself gave me the same feeling that uni. It feels like a new start. meeti e right now. to
idenc like
bingeing had a few years earlier. *Some names have been gathering ev ealth services and would .uk
h ov
It wasn’t until I went away to changed used mental hms.review@dcsf.gsi.g
: c a
help, email
Loughborough University to study
Chemistry and Sports Science that I There is help
o
really put my problems behind me.
you trust, or ut there to get through
try one of th th
ese organisa ese problems. Talk to so
Being away from Mum, Karen and
Jo helped because I no longer felt Samaritans tions:
– provide co meone
Tel: 08457 9 n
responsible for their happiness. I could 0 90 90 or em fidential, non-judgemen
be selfish and look after myself. Childline – ail: jo@sam tal support.
ta a
I went to see the university free, and wo lk to trained counsellors ritans.org
n’t a
counsellor and talked about Tel: 0800 11 come up on your phon bout any problem. The c
it was pretty stressful hearing them fight everything. The bingeing, the 11 e bill. all is
Beat – the le
all the time. And being the eldest, they purging, my parents’ divorce, and ading UK ch
kept telling me: “Set a good example, the self-harm. Just talking about their familie arity for peo
s. ple with eati
Michael. Be a strong man for your it helped me realise that I just Tel: 0845 63 ng disorders
4 14 14 or em and
sisters.” needed to get over it somehow. My ail: help@b-e
I started eating loads because it made at.co.uk
me feel better, although afterwards,
I felt worse. I know it sounds Angela Neustatter has just published a series of “Far more women suffer from
weird. I’d stop at the shops on books for young people experiencing mental eating disorders than men. And although our
Images: Will Strange (left-hand page); Olly Hoeben (portrait on right-hand page)
the way home from school, health problems. Here, she shares some advice . . . image culture is increasingly making young men feel they must
and buy crisps and chocolate.
Sometimes, I’d have a battered “Depression is not something to feel ashamed
have perfect bodies and appearance, these pressures have been far
greater on women for far longer.
sausage and chips too. I sat at the about or to see as illness. It is a painful and But a growing number of young men are being afflicted
bus stop and ate them before I difficult condition that can undermine you badly. by eating disorders and this is no less serious than with
went home. Find an organisation that specialises in young young women. For young men it can be harder to
But I just couldn’t get fat again. I people’s depression and talk to them. If it is admit. It can make them feel they will be regarded as
didn’t feel like running anymore, or severe go to your GP who will hopefully be understanding. If they weak or effeminate because of their eating disorder,
doing much at all really. So the only are not, it is very important to try to get help from another source so it can be even harder.”
solution was to make myself sick. – schools often have access to counsellors. And of course, if you
The hardest part was hiding it from have understanding parents, talk to them.” “One in ten young people have mental health issues – it is
my family and my friends. I had a important not to treat it as a shameful secret. The more people
drawer in my room stuffed full of “Depression is an affliction that can be bad for a speak out and share their stories, the easier it becomes to get
empty food wrappers, and I had to time, but then with growing up it may diminish. help and for it to be seen as problematic but normal.”
empty it when nobody was in. When I So it is important not to see it as a life sentence,
was making myself sick, I’d go to the which is how it can feel.” There are seven Talking About Myself books: Depression; Racism;
upstairs bathroom and turn all the taps Losing a Loved One; My Family; Eating Disorders; My Family;
Relationships and Sex. Published by Hachette, £12.99 each.
13
 NHS

SIXTY YEARS it, with the cost shared fairly through

taxation. The report was even admired
by Britain’s wartime enemies. “A copy
of it was found among Hitler’s papers,
and he remarked that it was far superior
HEALT
Since th
H REPO
for ever e NHS was fou
y n
RT

1952, a one has not alw ded, the ideal

: THE N
HS IN 2
008

OF THE
s o
as presc mall charge for ays remained in f free healthca
to any of the provisions in Germany,” ription c d e ntistr tact. As re
scrappe h
adds Professor Macintyre. d the la arges – though y was brought early as
glasses tter. Ey the NHS in, as w
ar et ell
rims som en’t either – th ests are no lon in Wales recent
CHANGES FOR THE GOOD e may co ough wit ger free ly
Current nsider th h their u and NH
ly the big at a relie n fashionab S
healthca
The change in income source also re servic gest debate co f. le thick
such as e n
Keep Ou s to private com cerns plans to

NHS
meant that hospitals could devote protest r N panies. farm ou
more resources to advancing medical ag H SP
compan ainst privatisa ublic have orga ampaign group t
C
knowledge, as Professor Macintyre ie tio
what th s will put profi n of the NHS, s ised marches
n s
explains: “There was a group are conc
e Nation
al Healt
ts befor
e patien a y in g that priv t o
of people who founded e h ts
prioritis rned at “paym Service stands – the opposite
ate
the research side of fear the
ing oper
ations t
ent by r
esults” le fo r. Some g of
the NHS, and who c lo h a t a d in roups
system, s ure of s b ring in g to hos
eventually changed all w ervic mor pitals
Darzi on hich is due to be es due to a re e income. Othe
of medicine. 5th July
.
officially
propose
structur
in
rs
“I can’t think of any d by min g of the

2008
ister Lor
major disadvantages d
It’s hard to believe, but free at the beginning of NHS sup
po
against pri rters protesting
healthcare is only sixty years the health service,
to tell the truth. It
vatisation

old – younger than most of our changed everything

grandparents. George Norton finds in medicine. It changed
everything in society. It
out what life was like before the NHS made our society.”
The NHS also meant an end

R
emember the last time you had
to see a doctor? These days all
it takes is a phone call, a few
clicks on a website or a short journey
to your nearest hospital to get the
medical help you need. You probably
didn’t think twice. We’re so used to free
healthcare in the UK that most people
take for granted the fact that we don’t
have to pay to see a GP or to go into
hospital.
But it wasn’t always so easy. On
5th July this year the National Health
Service (NHS) celebrates its 60th
birthday, reminding us that healthcare
has not always been so accessible.
Pre-NHS, seeing a doctor would
pre-1948
cost you, and not everybody could
afford it. “Before [the NHS], all
working men were covered by the
National Health Insurance,” says
Professor Harry Keen, who was a
young GP when the NHS was founded,
“but this did not extend to their wives
or families, who had to pay.”
Although there were some schemes
to try to help those unable to pay for
doctors’ fees, these were by no means
comprehensive. In July 1948, Professor
Keen revisited a boy he had treated for
a measles rash and bronchitis, only to
discover that his brother had been taken
ill: “When I offered to take a look at
him his mother
said, ‘I’d rather
you didn’t – we
really can’t
afford it.’” This
situation was
to the jumble of private, voluntary
and municipal hospitals that
provided the only source of healthcare
from until 1948. Dr Douglas Peters, who
that was a medical student when the
day it hospitals were nationalised, remembers
wouldn’t cost her the struggle for funds: “Financial
anything.” support for the voluntary hospitals
came from benefactors, subscribers
HOW IT BEGAN – thus entitling you to go there – and District Nursing Associations
various organisations and large firms, to which people subscribed something entailed
What had changed was the arrival and also from the annual pageant or like a penny a week or month to ensure a walk and two buses.
of the National Health Service Act, appeal day.” the services of the district nurse,” he There was no such thing as hospital
brought in by the then Minister of Dr Peters’ mother was a district says. “Once, in the 1930s, a friend transport and ambulances were used
Health, Nye Bevan, on 5th July 1948. nurse, but before the living near us was suspected of having only for serious accidents.”
This was the beginning of the NHS, NHS, only to those diphtheria. Her GP took a throat swab The NHS revolutionised healthcare –
assuring free diagnosis and treatment who could afford it. and gave it to my mother to deliver and 60 years on, it’s worth considering
of illnesses for the people of Britain, as “There were to a hospital several miles away, which what life would be like without it.
well as free eye tests and dentistry.
Professor Iain Macintyre, who
FAST FACTS
qualified as a doctor in 1947, saw the Nye Bevan, the
consequences at first hand. “It was founder of
the NHS • With around 1.3 million • The NHS treats 1 million
the lifting of a pressure,” he says,
Healthcare Society; Unison; Hulton-Deutsch Collection / Corbis
Images (clockwise from left): Southport Visiter; The Benenden

common in the “particularly in general practice, which staff, the NHS is the biggest patients every 36 hours
days before was a serious worry for people who employer in Europe and the • In 1950, someone in the UK
the NHS, but didn’t have much money. After the war, third largest in the world could expect to live to 69.2
fortunately in the random inequalities were no longer
this case there tolerable. The health service was one of • Approximately 385,000 of – in 2008 life expectancy is
was a happy the civilised results of this.” these are nurses, which is 77.2 and it continues to rise
ending. “It The welfare state, created to fight equivalent to the population • In a 2006 inpatient
was 5th these inequalities, stemmed from a
July,” says 1942 report by economist William
of Edinburgh satisfaction survey, 41
ard in
A children’s w the NHS Professor Beveridge on how to rebuild Britain • 16 per cent of the population per cent rated their care
re
Southport befo Keen. “I after the war. This involved providing is aged 65 or over, compared excellent, 36 per cent very
told her that care free at the time people needed to 11 per cent in 1948 good and 15 per cent good

14 15
 US ELECTIONS

RACE E
FOR THE
S
How the
I
OU
THE f you’ve follow
ed

H
the heck a cauc any of the coverage, you’ve

election
us is, or been co pr
nfused about th obably wondered what

E
College. Sure,
th e pr oc e idea of an E

T
(somewhat) ea ess is
sy to follow sy complicated, but it breaks do lectoral

I
stem wn to a

H
Elections happ
en every four ye .
process in early Januar ar s an

W
y of an election d th e presidential elec
are meetings of ye tion
political partie ar, with the Iowa caucus. The cycle begins
Here’s where vo s and lead to st
ate-by-state pr caucuses

works
ters get a first sa imary votes.
registered as a y in w ho should
Democrat, you
registered Rep vote in the Dem run for president. If you’ve
ublic ocra
Over the next si an, you vote in the Republican tic primary; if you‘ve
primary, the pu x m on th s, each primary only.
main candidates
were Hillary C blic votes for th of the 50 states holds a prim
the November e ar
This year the R linton, John Edw general electio person they want to represen y. In the
McCain. The ra epublicans decided on a cand ards and Barack Obama. n. For example, t their party in
The US presidential elections seem to be in the ce for the Dem idate quite earl this year the D
of this is certai oc y, emocratic part
n until August, rats seemed to go on foreve and the presumptive nominee y’s
when each part r, but now it lo w
news non-stop. Our New York correspondent
Although a popu y ho oks lik ill be A rizona Senator
the voting in ea lar vote is tallied during the lds a large convention and m e it will be Illinois Senator John
ch state. The C election, held in akes their nom Barack Obama.
population of sm ollege is made ea rly November, in ee official. None

Kevin Dolak explains what all the fuss is about

al up
vote in the area ler areas within the states, to of electors representing each it’s the Elector
al C ol lege that ul
. cast the state’s of
Whichever part electoral votes, the 50 states. Electors are ch timately decides
y pr es osen by
– and why it really does matter who wins
w ins the most um ably for the ca
example, has 31
of the 580 elec electoral votes in each state w ndidate that won the
election day, w to the popular
hichever candid ral votes. Florida has 27. Io ins that particular state’s elec
ate receives ov wa has seven. to ra l vo te s. New

T
en years ago it would have been
difficult for people to imagine
the UK would be involved in
wars with Afghanistan and Iraq. But
the UK’s close relationship with the US
meant they followed them into the war
on terrorism in the Middle East.
As two major world powers, the
relationship between the UK and the
US is tight - culturally, economically
and militarily. We have many shared
ties and interests and our leaders tend
to form close relationships, from the
like-minded Margaret Thatcher and
Ronald Reagan in the 1980s through
to Tony Blair and Bill Clinton in the
1990s. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11,
relations between the Labour party and
the Bush administration tightened
further as the war on terrorism began.
And Foreign Secretary David Miliband
said that the UK’s link with the US is its
“most important bilateral relationship”.
But it’s not just potential military
operations that are of concern. Since
they consume 23 per cent of the world’s
resources, while containing just five
per cent of the world’s population, it’s
high time America cleans up its act
environmentally. These two key issues
are important not just across the US,
but impact the entire world, and have
turned all eyes on the primaries and the
November elections.
It looks like the two candidates for
president will be John McCain, for the
traditionally right-wing Republicans,
and Barack Obama, representing the
more left-wing Democrats. Here we
take a look at their key policies on two
issues that will affect everyone.
THE IRAQ WAR
High on the list of Obama’s priorities
is an end to the war in Iraq. Obama has
been a major opponent of the war for
some time, having contested it from the
outset and warned of “an occupation of
undetermined length, with undetermined
costs, and undetermined consequences”.
He has called for troop withdrawals
every year since 2005, his first year as
Senator.
Obama’s overall plan for diplomacy
in the Middle East involves employing
the help of Iraq’s neighbours to secure
Iraq’s borders, isolating terrorist groups
and gradually withdrawing from the
region.
McCain’s views on the Iraq war
and conflicts in the Middle East are
drastically different from Obama’s.
Many feel that his military career
plays a role in shaping his policy.
McCain served in the Vietnam War,
and in 1967 was captured and spent
five years as a prisoner of war. These
experiences are thought to inform his
ideas of maintaining a presence in Iraq,
preventing it from becoming a haven for
terrorists and destabalising the region.
McCain was a staunch advocate of
er 270 electora
the surge in troops sent to
Iraq towards the end of 2006. He points
to the 90 per cent reduction in violence
in Iraq from June 2007 through March
2008 as evidence of the surge’s success. return to 2005 levels of emission; by
He believes that a military presence
must be maintained in Iraq to keep
the country moving towards stability
and economic success. “Our goal is
an Iraq that can stand on its own as a
democratic ally and a responsible force
for peace in its neighbourhood,” he
recently stated.
THE ENVIRONMENT
McCain’s environmental policies
differ significantly from that of the
current Bush administration. He feels
that the US must take a leadership role
in the matters of climate changes and
global warming. He voted for America’s businesses’ money – by auctioning off
Climate Security Act of 2007, and
favours programmes that will limit
companies’ greenhouse gas emissions
and reward them with
cash for finding
This is based on
l votes wins th
e election.
innovative ways to
reduce their carbon footprint.
“By the year 2012, we will seek a
2020, a return to 1990 levels; and so
on until we have achieved at least a
reduction of 60 per cent below 1990
levels by the year 2050,” McCain said.
Obama’s environmental policies
reflect his slogan of “change we can
believe in”, as they outline a reasonable
and new model. “Businesses don’t own
the sky, the public does, and if we want
them to stop polluting it, we have to
put a price on all pollution. It’s time to
make the cleaner way of doing business
the more profitable way of doing
business,” he said in an energy policy
speech in 2007. He plans to put his
money where his mouth is – or rather,
emissions permits, making businesses
pay for the CO2 they emit. This money
will go on to fund clean energy research
and technology. Other aims include
getting 25 per cent of US energy from
the population York State, for
of each state. O
n
renewable sources
by 2025, and investing $150 billion
(£75bn) in clean technology such as
biofuels and “clean coal”.
Both Middle East policy and the
environment are huge issues, not just
for US voters but also for the UK
and around the world. Obama’s and
McCain’s plans speak volumes about
the US role on the world stage, and
help indicate what direction we are all
headed over the next four years. It will
be an exciting race, and worth following
– to decide which candidate will
ultimately be in Britain’s best interest.

in Barack Oba
John McCa ma
 CULTURE
All about Spud
Mockingbird,
Wish Me Luck
Spud is a hilarious,
bestselling new book
about a 14-year-
old’s first year
Sweden’s
at an elite South
next big band
African boarding
is young,
school. Alert caught
resourceful and
up with its author,
loves playing
John Van de Ruit
England.
Mockingbird,
Wish Me Luck The story is set in South Africa in 1990. What
is quite a lucky was it like for you growing up during Apartheid
band already [racial segregation], and witnessing it ending?
I grew up in white suburban South Africa without a
care in the world, blissfully unaware that behind the
Sweden gates and perfectly manicured gardens was a country in
tfit from Angelholm,
The indie orchestral ou London’s Blow Up Records political turmoil. It was a chocolate-box existence that
th
recently inked a deal wi a friend on MySpace. Alert was completely unrealistic and bizarre. Whilst away at
ad din g the m as boarding school, I became aware of how corrupt the
merely by Daniel
wi th Mo ck ing bir d’s bassist/songwriter system of Apartheid was, and what damage it had caused
spoke of the ir de bu t LP,
e the release
Wennergren just befor his ba nd ma tes Ce cilia to so many people – quite a realisation when you’re sixteen.
turns out
Days Come and Go. It a fly er for Four months after leaving school I was old enough to vote
other) happened upon
and Niklas (also his br in South Africa’s first-ever democratic elections. It was one
of those moments in life when you just feel privileged to
Blow Up’s nigh have been there.
on t at C
out the club ni London’s Oxford Street. T lub Metro
ght and then hey checked Tell us a little about the character of Spud.
on MySpace, ad
and bob’s your ded the label as a friend He began as a memory of my first day at boarding school.
think MySpace uncle, they go
is great for cr t signed. “I But he evolved into a unique boy who appears ordinary.
people and fo eating connec
r young band tions between
can get to ou s”, says Wenne He’s immensely curious about the world around him,
r page much rg
of people liste more easily, an ren. “People allowing us a peek at a pretty flipped-out cast of characters.
n to us d a lot
There seems to be a lot of bullying at Spud’s school.
What would you advise to someone being bullied?

Images (clockwise from bottom left): Claudia Arnold; Penguin

Many of the bullying and initiation scenes were based on
things I experienced or encountered at school. I found
the verbal taunts harder to bear than the actual threat of
physical violence. My advice to somebody being seriously
bullied is to talk to somebody you trust about it. Why
waste precious years living in silent fear?
What’s the funniest thing that happens to Spud
during his first year at the school?
I’ve realised that everybody has their own favourite. This
also depends on the age, taste and general insanity levels
at.” Though nd
because of th ed get them signed, the ba perfecting of the reader. My favourite extract is probably the family
rn et he lp ye ar s at
the inte ng hard for
many vacation to Namibia with Spud’s granny,
be en w or ki ns tr um en ta l approach. Wombat. South African teens laugh at
has m ul ti -i
odies an d ber of tracks
their lush mel tually consists of a num d EPs that Fatty getting his ass stuck in the chapel
ac se
The debut LP ared on several self-relea home and window, the wild behaviour of Mad Dog,
that appe they reco rd ed at and any scene with the mention of sex. In
sold in shops around Sweden. In the the US, Fatty’s flatulence seems to have
meantime, they’re struck a loud chord with many readers.
balancing work and study with
an ever-growing fan
base and increasingly busy schedule

WIN!
– often bringing We have three
their homework along to finish on
the road. And their copies of Spud to
first London gig went smashingly:
“A lot of people in the give away.
UK came up to us after Just answer the following question:
Wennergren.
the show telling us they liked it,” says
be a bit shy er in Sweden. We’d look Who won South Africa’s first
“The audiences can
.” democratic elections?
forward to playing more in the UK
Email answers to comps@alertmagazine.org.uk by 31st
Kevin Dolak July for your chance to win.
18
Interview by Emmanuelle Smith
 INTERVIEW

ERAGON
and on and on . . .
He played a hot surfer dude in ITV series Echo Beach,
and a young dragon rider in hit film Eragon – and he’s
still only 20 years old. Ed Speleers took some time out
to tell Alert about the ups and downs of young stardom
On getting the role of Er
I was in the lower sixth agon . . .
doing Hamlet, and castin
who had had me forward g director Pippa Hall,
for Narnia and Hannibal
up to my drama teacher Ris
and said, “Tim, they’re get ing, came straight
On wanting to act . . . – first compliment of the
day – “they’ve been loo
ting desperate”
I wanted to act since the age of 10, when I was for about six months, and
we think it could be Ed’s
king for this character
given the chance to play Puck in A Midsummer up to London, met the cas
tin g person and the director
chance.” I went
Night’s Dream. It was literally from then: I was like, sce nes . I thought, “hang on, som and read a few
ething’s going on here.”
“Mum, I’ve got to do this. I want to be an actor.” I got another phone call
saying, “right, get yours Ten days later
My old man wasn’t keen on the idea and it wasn’t Two days after that, I wa elf up here again.”
s flying to Budapest. I’m
until Eragon that his mindset changed. He said, “I’m chills thinking about it. When you sit actually getting
doing this.” I told him, “Look, tha t, yo do wn and thi nk back to times like
scared about you u think, “blimey”. I canno
t explain the feeling.
Dad, this is what I do. Support me.” And to this
day he does.
On the press . . .  . . .
I’ve been pretty lu
cky with the press.
On the future
do another seri
ch. I
es of Echo Bea was a
it
I like to do very re W I don’t want to from that. I have no regrets; here
gular jobs. I was on hen I’m in between work, w
long ago, and it w
as in
a building site not
that want to move on do. I want to get to the stage at the
g to in g
backfired on The Su The Sun. It had me looking a right good fun th in
e
start lo ok
picky. I want to writing, but the
n completely – they state. It be a bi t m or d
happened: blockbus w I can the camera, an
ter bricklayer” or so ere like, “look what’s options behind to be the main thing.
to LA and they love m
d it – “he’s being hu ething. But it got back acting is goin g
and he’s gone and m ble, he’s not worki
worked on a build ng
ing site.”
On female attention . . .
On his friends . . . I’m not seeing anybody at the moment. If
I think I might have missed out on the university life a little I’m talking to girls, I never tell them what I
bit. I’ve visited my friends, and you can tell they’re having do, until I’ve had a proper conversation
a lot of fun. But I’m not sure it would have suited me. with them. But I’m 20 years old. If
There are times you are always going to think, “I wish I’d a good-looking girl shows some
done that”, but there’s no point regretting it. I remember interest in me because she thinks I’m
in Hungary I was told by this young actor, and I’ve supposed to be something, then . . .
always resented him for this comment, “your friends
that you’ve got now, they’ll soon forget about you, and On how to
you’ll soon forget about them.” I thought, “no, he’s become an actor . . .
wrong, I guarantee it.” To this day, the people who are Get involved as much as
my best friends are the same ones I had when I started you can. Being in the right
that job, and I intend to keep it that way. They’re what place at the right time is just
means the world to me, they’re the ones who when as important as having talent.
everything goes wrong will be there. That’s what But don’t throw away
friendship is about. everything else
in your life;
On Samuel L Jackson . . .
Images: 20th Century Fox; Kai Z Feng

don’t throw
k and popular arts
I had to go to Comic-Con [a comic boo away an
to two -and-a-half-thousand
conference in the USA] and talk education.
ther e was non e other than Samuel Keep that up
people. I got outside and
God, is that Samuel L
L Jackson sitting there. I was like, “oh – you can do
ething to him.” I went
Jackson? Please let me go and say som the acting as well.
are you doing?” I was
over and he was like, “hey kid, how Have a safety net.
h, so hop eful ly I’ll see you on
explaining and he goes, “yea
went away shaking.
set one day.” I was like, “no way”. I
Interview by George Norton
19

J u m p
ar ound
East Sussex County Council is about to open the UK’s first purpose-built parkour site.
Meanwhile, free-running courses are cropping up all over the country. What will this mean
for the sport that grew up on the streets? Jasmin Qureshi finds out
O
n a grainy YouTube video,
17-year-old Piptrix runs at
super-speed down a high street,
vaulting over a dustbin and back-
flipping over a wall along the way. In
another clip, he runs at a wall about six
metres high, kicks off it and bounces
against the wall opposite, like a ball in
a pinball machine. He lands, cat-like, at
the top of the wall.
This is Pip Anderson, professional
parkour athlete, navigating his way
around his home town of Taunton
using parkour moves, also known
as free running. Some people see
it as an extreme sport, but most
parkour practitioners would describe
it as something more graceful than
that, a discipline that has much in
common with ancient martial arts and
gymnastics. It’s about overcoming
obstacles quickly and efficiently, as if
you’re escaping an enemy chasing you.
20
In recent years, parkour has steadily
grown in popularity, with its visual
impressiveness featuring in films
such as Casino Royale. Across the
UK, youth clubs, schools, and leisure
centres have been compelled to run
parkour sessions to meet the demand
for the discipline. However, until
recently, there were no formal coaches
and no specialised facilities.
But this year East Sussex County
Council is setting up the UK’s first
site dedicated to parkour, and Leeds
and London are set to follow suit after
pressure from local young people.
But most significantly, Sport England
have recognised parkour as an official
sport, meaning parkour organisations
can apply for funding to develop the
discipline. This means new coaching
qualifications and parkour teachers, and
more competitions and facilities.
But this will inevitably lead to
The bigger the better: Dan Edwardes
welcomes parkour qualifications
SAFETY MEASURES
According to Dan Edwardes, Director
of Parkour Generations – the new
governing body for the sport – concerns
increased regulation. As Pip says, about safety have prevented many
“the whole point of parkour is to be young people from taking part – from
free,” and part of its appeal is that worried parents to councils unwilling to
it has a rebellious edge and doesn’t set up facilities or run training:
involve competition. So, will young “Young people want to do it, to
people be put off by formal rules and imitate what they see in the movies and
regulations? And will parkour sites be a adverts. It’s important they’re able to
bit restricting? practise the discipline properly, and
Pip, who is a member of the leading have access to proper training so they
Urban Freeflow parkour team, says: can practise safely and correctly and
“They can bring in as many regulations won’t hurt themselves.”
as they want, but that won’t change the Pip says he has had many adults
sport. They can say what young people shout at him while he’s practising on
can and can’t do, but the rules won’t be streets, walkways and other public
Images: Andy Day (main); Pip Anderson (small)
obeyed.” places, and police have told him to
Pip says he is looking forward stop. So he hopes the formalisation
to being able to gain a coaching of parkour will raise awareness and
qualification so he can teach others. understanding.
Many people in the parkour community “I’ve been shouted at loads of
are welcoming the developments times. It’s just because they don’t
because with professional teaching, know about parkour. But they really
young people can learn to practise the need to listen to what young people
discipline safely. are saying – that it’s a serious art
PARKOUR
and we know what we’re doing. When there for a few years, people will know
we’re in the air or scraping across walls it too well and get bored. You’d have to
we know what’s around us. If you go knock it down and rebuild it.”
and watch parkour you see people look It seems that parkour sites and
around before they start, to make sure regulations won’t restrain the
it’s safe,” says Pip. discipline, the nature of which is to
push boundaries and to move freely no
WHAT REGULATIONS WILL MEAN matter what obstacles lie in wait. But
at the same time, parkour is here to
Councils across the UK have started stay. The founders of parkour welcome
to consider setting up dedicated parkour the new official recognition as a way
sites because of its popularity amongst of furthering parkour and making
young people. East Sussex County sure that more young people have the
Council is the first to bow to pressure, opportunity to learn it.
and is currently in the process of “Everyone wants to do parkour,” says
designing a parkour site. Pip. “It’s a good way of showing your
The move to set up the site has been artistic talents through movement. It’s
led by Regen, a regeneration project in all about being creative. And it doesn’t
Peacehaven, East Sussex, after young cost a bomb to get into; all you need is
people asked them for help in getting a pair of trainers.”
the council on side. Liz Lee, Chair of
Regen, says at first they faced some
barriers from the council, who didn’t For more information visit:
understand what parkour was, and www.parkourgenerations.com
were concerned about safety. But the www.urbanfreeflow.com
overwhelming demand from young
people for a sport that is actually about
assessing risk quickly, rather than
taking risks, ensured that the council
eventually came round.
Liz also isn’t worried that young
people will be put off by new
regulations of the sport, even if it is
contained within a parkour site. “We
certainly don’t want it to become
overly regulated. Some people have
asked if there will be a coach at
the new site, and the answer is no,
because that will put young people
off. But I think young people will be
glad the activity is recognised.”
But if the point of parkour is to
imaginatively plot your way around
your surroundings, be they urban
or rural, then a site with limited
courses and obstacles could seem
restrictive.
“I don’t see how parks are going
to be sufficient,” says Pip. “Once a
park’s been
Pip Anderson: rules
won’t be obeyed
H IS TORY OF PARKOU
R
Georges Héber
t, a
ethos of parkou French naval officer in the ea
r. rl
erupted. He co He was stationed in Martiniq y 1900s, developed the
ordinated the ev ue in 1902 whe
him to believe ac n
that athletic sk uation of 700 people. The ex a volcano
could become ill, combined w perience led
ith courage and
an
of parkour, teac important discipline. He bega selflessness,
hing it in a scho n
and second wor ol and then to th to develop an early version
ld wars. e French army
during the first
David Belle, bo
rn in France in
grandfather ha 19
d witnessed Héb 73, is the founder of parkou
As a teenager, ert’s discipline r. His
Belle was pass and told Belle
arts. When he ionate about at stories about it.
was 15 he mov hletics, gymna
teenagers who ed stics
shared his pass to Paris and became friends w and martial
ions. This grou
the first parkou
r group. p later became ith other
the Yamakasi,
 8
OLYMPICS

B e i j i n g 2 0 0 BRITS TO WATCH

r i n g o n
Tom Daley, 14

B
Tom is an English
diver,
specialising in the
10 metre
platform event. He
will be
Britain’s youngest
athlete at the
Beijing Olympics.
WHERE? Olivia Allison, 18
and Gemma Ran
ill be held in
dall, 20
WHY?
This year, Olivia an
The events w of the People’s the first British sync
d Gemma will be
pital
Olympics Beijing, the ca . Beijing – which hronised swimmer
s
modern hina
W H AT ?
to compete at the O
The 1896. Republic of C the north” – has 16 lympic Games sinc
ing on since l of
have been go e based on games
e
means “capita s. That’s more than twice
1992. Synchro is of
ten described as “w
Games are an ar
However, they ncient Greece almost io n in ha bi ta nt
n, which is ho 12.
sting ballet”, so let’s wat ater
The Olympic ent, mill L on do ch out for this duo’
rn at io na l, multi-sport ev orts. that starte d in A
town called Oly
mpia! the populatio n of
mer games
in 20 aquatic dancing. s
te
in
mmer and win
ter sp
3000 year s ag o  . .  . i n a the next sum
divided into su winter games are each some
and ames, been
th Olympic G
s apart.
Sarah Stevenson,
The summer ye ars, two year The first You There has
nd in g the 25
held ev er y fo ur aged 14 to rrou
controversy su , because of
Competing in the
for athletes held
over-67kg Taekwon
es, which 18, wil be re l games this year be Sarah’s third O do event, these will
20 08 , it ’s th e summer gam ies. S in ga po China’s bad re
putation lympic Games, whi
In tr in ch is incredible fo
ther 203 coun ghts. someone so young.
for human ri
r
will bring toge sy m bo li se in 2010. She’s one of the be
The Olympics th is st in the
ity, and
peace and un is “One
world in her weigh
t category,
year ’s sl og an
WHEN?
so good luck to he
ream”. r!
World, One D
gin
The games be and
A ug us t,
on 8th
24th August.
last until arts at
ceremony st
The opening ghth day of the eighth
the ei
8.08.08pm on a good
in 2008. It’s e, the
(A ug us t)
month in Chinese cu
ltur
job, then, that lucky and represents
is
number eight rtune.
pros pe ri ty and good fo

Ready for LIFT-OFF

Zoe Smith’s life has drastically
changed ever since she tried
weightlifting at her local gym two
years ago. Zoe, 14, used to do
gymnastics until her coach asked her
to try weightlifting – because her
borough needed a girl to join their
team for the London Youth Games.
in France and the Commonwealth lives in Greenwich, attention, and she has weightlifting because of an article about
Youth Games in India. an Olympic borough recently been filmed by her in the local newspaper. “I didn’t tell
Her big ambition, though, is to in London, and the TV crews from ITV and anyone at first because I thought they’d
represent the UK in the 2012 Olympics. council are keen to Channel 4, who may think it was a bit strange. But when I
Last month she moved closer to her financially support young follow her progress came into school after the article came
dream when World Class Weightlifting athletes through their over the next four out they were all really pleased for me.”
put her forward as a potential Starting Blocks years. In fact Weightlifting is seen as a particularly
competitor to the British Olympic scheme. her friends male sport, and Zoe is the only girl
Images: International Olympic Committee; Zoe Smith

He realised immediately that she
had huge potential. “I was a bit
overwhelmed,” Zoe recalls, “I just
didn’t know what to expect.”
Since then her success has
rocketed. She has gone on to break
the British under-18 record in her
53kg weight category, previously
unbroken for 12 years, and is now
ranked number two in the UK.
This year she is competing in the
European Youth Championships
Association. Zoe says only found in her weightlifting gym. But Zoe
Before major competitions she feels it would out she looks up to female weightlifters for
only one thing: hunger. “I’m just a be a was inspiration and wants to encourage
little bit over the limit of my weight “real doing more girls into weightlifting. “I would
category. I have to really starve myself struggle” say to girls, don’t be put off. It sounds
to get down to the required weight,” she without like an intimidating sport with men
says. “I do find it difficult because I just their funding. and their shouting, but don’t be put off
like to snack. I’ve really got to cut that Her incredible by that, because it’s just as much of a
out a few weeks before a competition.” achievements women’s sport as anything else. I enjoy
Along with the competitions came have won it, and you never know what talents
large expenses, which meant her family her lots other people might have.”
had to make cutbacks. Luckily Zoe of media Jasmin Qureshi

23
 ’s issue of
in Next month

Alert Underage drinking – is

cheap booze responsible?

Mosquito –
the nuisance of the
“teen deterrent”
“Give us the vote”

AND... 19-year-old Arsenal star

Theo Walcott’s Premier League guide

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