ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Make Saving Simple

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Make Saving SimpleNow that the lockdown is easing, we all have hidden pressure to go out and enjoy ourselves, which leads to more expenditure.  However, if you follow this simple guide, you can ‘Make Saving Simple’, keep yourself in the black, and switch careful planning you can afford those guilty pleasures that we all long for.

The hated word in any discussion is ‘budget’, it normally causes more rows in a family circumstance than any other as you are talking about money and money is a limited resource.  However, if you implement a simple budget you will be surprised at how quickly (even from small amounts) your savings will develop.

Remember putting a budget is not about stopping you spending, it is about making you realise what you spend on, and then by looking at this expenditure you can decide what is important and what you can adjust to make a saving (if possible); or even, if you need to get help.

I have created a simple spreadsheet for those who have access to Microsoft Excel, and I also have created a PDF so that those who do not have excel can download the four sheets of paper and fill them in that way.

 

The four sheets are:

  • Summary
  • Needs
  • Debts-Savings
  • Wants

If you are using Excel, all you have to do is fill in the Needs / Debts-Savings / Wants sheets and the totals will automatically complete the Summary Sheet.  Then you will need to fill in your earnings figure.

If you are using the PDF sheets, you will have to fill each item in yourself, then use a calculator to get your totals on each sheet, then manually fill in the Summary Sheet and total the figures in the first section, and then fill in your earnings in the second section.

Once you have completed this then subtract your expenditure in box 1 from your earnings in box 2 – if you end up with a minus figure, then you will need to go back to box one and see what (if anything ) you can adjust so that you end up with a positive figure.

 

“When your income is £20 and spending is £19.98, the result is happiness. When your income is £20 and spending is £20.02, the result is misery.”

 

Downloads:

Don’t forget to contact us if you need further help!

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At the destination [Am Ziel] – Gay short movie – Movie Review

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Am Ziel

A beautiful, yet non-descript day in Bavaria, to be exact Allgau.  A day like every other day, except for Tom who is about to make a momentous decision – that of coming out and hopefully making new friends with other ‘gays’.  He is full of fears, indecision, and ideas flash through his mind with all the stereotypes that he has heard people, the media (newspapers, radio, television and movies) discussing.

I found this a very appt short movie, having just read various reports and written my own article on how LGBTQ+ youth have been hit hard by the pandemic, and the effect of being forced back into the closet for some of them as they have had to return home with no job, or no university course continuing.

Friendship and Sharing

During the period 10th to 16th May it is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, not surprisingly the USA has a Mental Health Awareness Month!  But, the aim no matter where you are is to be aware of others, that they may be suffering, but not showing it.  Be patient with your friends, but not just during this period of awareness, be aware always and be open to providing support, whether that be a cup of tea or coffee, a chat, a walk in the countryside with friends – you never know what will help a person, so put your hand out and see who grabs it, and don’t be disappointed if there is slow take-up, someone somewhere needs your friendship

At the destination [Am ziel}

Tom – At the destination (Am ziel)

The short film was made in a workshop by queerblick eV at the youth group “BONITO” in the Allgäu (www.bonito-allgaeu.de). Its aim is to encourage young people to dare to join a gay youth group, to find friends and support, to not be alone.

I have been lucky enough to get in touch with Andi from the group, who told me that ‘The actual idea behind the story was to show young queer people in our area what a queer youth group is or isn’t in terms of clichés. The story itself was written by the main character Tom played by Axel, literally telling the story of his first attempts (it took him three) to come to Bonito.’

 

Movie Information:

Main characters:

Tom: Axel – 23

Guy with the bike: Andi – 26

Spooky Queen: Martin – 25

Guy in front of the house: Winni – 22

Length of movie: 5.39

 

Links:

Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youth

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Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youth

 

In 2018 whilst discussing ‘Rainbow Colours At Ards Town Hall’ reference was made to a report on suicide prevention from the World Health Organisation, Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youthand the methods of measuring suicide attempts.  Reference was also made to the Rainbow Project report ‘Through Our Minds’ which indicated that 25.7% of those who responded, ‘had at least one attempt at suicide.’

But this is not the whole story, the following table gives a more concrete overview of the facts and figures:

General population (suicide attempt ever) LGBT population (suicide attempt ever) General population (suicide attempt past year) LGBT (suicide attempt past year)
Northern Ireland 4% 25.7% ? 6.17%
Great Britain 4.4% ? 0.5% 4.02%*
Ireland 7%** 21.4% 1.68%** 5.63%

 

*Excluding transgender people, recalculated on the basis of the two studies (2008; 2011) taken together
**Aged 17-25

 

LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report

LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report for 2020 published yesterday (May 10) highlighted how the LGBTQ+ community was affected by the COVID pandemic with a higher number than ever of younger people calling the LGBT Ireland helpline with a correlating uptake in online peer support groups….[FactcheckNI(https://factcheckni.org/articles/have-1-in-4-lgbt-persons-attempted-suicide/)]

So why am I raising this again?  We are all still living and working within the pandemic and its impact on all of the community within the United Kingdom.  However, the LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report covering the year 2020, has highlighted the LGBTQ+ community was affected by the COVID pandemic with a higher number that ever of young people calling the LGBT Helpline.

Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ YouthBut in Northern Ireland, I would also suggest that the number of calls for support whether by phone, text or online will have gone up.  Our youth have also suffered from the impact of the pandemic, and so many reports, studies and articles over the period have indicated that for so many that had to return home from university halls, or from rented accommodation which they could no longer afford had the ‘return to the closet’ syndrome as they either were not out to their families, or their families preferred that they kept a low profile.

The cancelling of so many venues and the limitation of support groups has also brought further psychological pressure on our LGBTQ+ youth.

Indian Variant

Today we heard that we are moving forward towards new normality, however almost immediately we are being told about the ‘Indian’ variant and that if the numbers continue to increase from this it may lead to local or limited lockdowns. 

None of us knows the future, and indeed the one thing that is guaranteed apart from birth, death and taxes (which are bound to go up due to Brexit fallout and the pandemic costs) is that the pandemic is here forever, and that it is down to us all to be sensible and use the skills we have developed over the last 15+ months, but also that we need to think carefully on how we can support and care for our youth ( and indeed everyone).

 

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Hand Off – Gay Short Movie 2019 – Movie Review

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Hand OffHand Off is a movie written and directed by Chadlee Skrikker, is 24 minutes long and is about rugby in Cape Town, South Africa.  Jaco decides to admit his feelings about Willem just after they have come out of the changing room having cleaned up following rugby training. 

Willem is taken aback having had no inkling that Jaco was gay, and that he had feeling for him.  As they walk towards the car Willem walks on by leaving [Jaco] feeling isolated and downcast, and not knowing whether their friendship will continue.

He gets home and is met by his mother but moves away from her with a lame excuse and goes to his bedroom collapsing on his bed and falls into a fantasy world with an imaginary friend.  You can tell he is imaginary by the heavy gold on his forehead and his earrings – Leo then directs hisHand Off fantasy.  It at this stage almost has a feeling of Caravaggio or Sebastiane.  The languid bodies lying on rugs with cushions and roses set the scene.

Hand Off is a rugby term, it is when a ball-carrier is permitted to hand off an opponent provided excessive force is not used, to push him away whilst he (or she) continues with trying to get a try.

The actors are of a suitable build to all be rugby players, and indeed carry themselves as testosterone ladened lads. Jaco seems to move from training to his fantasy, all the while Willem is on the periphery reconciling what he has been told and trying to understand how it affects him and his friendship.

Jaco’s fantasy moves forward and becomes more sexually explicit, but the question that is raised is will he come back from fantasy?

Jaco then discovers that Willem (or someone) has told all his fellow team members that he is gay, and they take the action of shunning him with the stereotypical reactions that writers of these scenes often use.  He meets up with Willem expressing how he feels and Willem shows how good a friend he is and becomes the friend he was before Jaco came out.

Soundtracks:  there are several musical tracks used during the movie, but “Lucifer’s Tear” which was written by Ayden Marthinus stands out for me, and fortunately there seem to be three or 4 other tracks hidden away in YouTube.

 

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Northern Ireland Water and Meter Charges

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Northern Ireland Water at our doorstep

Ireland Northern Giants – Free photo on Pixabay

Northern Ireland Water is a finite resource.  Rainfall in Northern Ireland is variable, with the monthly rainfall varying from year to year.  According to statistics produced by Statista, since 2010, winter has on average been the wettest season, however, in 2019, winter was in fact the driest season with summer that year being the wettest.

Also, when compared to the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland receives less rain than both Scotland and Wales.

In a letter dated 12 April 2012, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Northern Ireland Water stated that 25 reservoirs, which you would think might be enough for our needs.

However, Sir James Bevan in his March 2019 speech cautioned that the country is facing “an existential threat” and reaching “the jaws of death … we will not have enough water to meet our needs.”

With this in mind, I now would like to re-look at how the Northern Ireland Water organisation works.  NI Water is a Government Owned Company (GoCo).  The main characteristics of which are:

  • Its constitution is set out in Memorandum and Articles of Association.
  • It is unambiguously under public sector control.
  • It is established under and must conform with companies’ legislation.
  • Over 50% of ordinary share capital owned by the government.
  • Shareholders may receive regular dividend payments.
  • There is an accountability relationship with a sponsoring Department, and
  • It is permitted to recover costs and build up reserves through trading operations.

 

Northern Ireland Water

Sewage Treatment Works, Omagh © Kenneth Allen :: Geograph Ireland

In 2002 things were looking to be changed.  For decades domestic water and sewage services in N I had been provided without charge to customers.  Only non-residential customers received water bills and had water meters.  So suddenly out of the blue (or a government think tank), it was muted that all N Ireland water and sewerage services would become ‘self-financing.  Over the next two years exhaustive and extensive consultations on water reforms were carried out, with the aim of introducing water meters for new homes as well as water and sewer charges for all domestic customers.  The water charges plan was included in the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, introduced by the then secretary of states Peter Hain; and it was in parallel, that Northern Ireland Water Limited was created in April 2007.  But, due to the anti-water charges campaign, in 2007, the plans for water charges were abandoned.

Northern Ireland Water

File:Water meter with remote reading.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

But as I have alluded to water is a finite resource, and our climate and therefore our weather is changing.  The government is having to look closely at all areas of the country to see if there are ways in which the ‘users’ (that means you) can be made to think more carefully about the usage of resources, and this includes water.  The possibility of water charges being reintroduced is entirely possible when you also look at the debts which the country has ramped up over BREXIT and also Coronavirus (COVID-19), and the government seeks ways in which to reduce the National Debt.

 

Links:

 

 

Poems by Ian Duhig in Support of Belfast Pride

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Poems by Ian DuhigTwo poems by Ian Duhig were submitted In January 1991 to Sean McGouran, the Editor of various publications for NIGRA (The Northern Ireland Gay rights Association) to be published as two pieces of poetry because of a piece that Sean had written in ‘Fortnight’magazine, a left-of-centre magazine produced in N Ireland for the N Ireland market, but with larger ramifications.

The two pieces of poetry by Ian Duhig were in support of Gay Pride Week in Belfast, our first Gay Pride in 1991.  Our first Pride march consisted of 120 individuals who marched through Belfast City Centre to the Botanic Gardens.  To quote John Bercow, who was the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons when he visited us in 2013

 

…What was once a celebration marked by a tiny hardcore of principled and brave individuals has been transformed into something approaching institutional status. …

 

Pride Belfast has moved on, to quote its current organisers (and others)

 

…Belfast Pride is one of the biggest festivals in Belfast, Ireland’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival and ranks in the top ten largest Pride parades in the UK! …

 

What Ian Says…

The two poems by Ian Duhig are connected by the idea of jealousy and religion.  This is because they were written after the anti-clause 27/88 campaign had focused on letters to members of the House of Lords in an effort to get changes.  He found himself writing to the Archbishop of York and observing the extraordinary protocol that goes with it (you certainly don’t often get to start letters with ‘Your Grace’).  Both poems are closely based on fact.  Mar Jacobus being a friend of Corvo’s called Lewis or something and Bartolomea and Bendetta’s story came from research on an American historian called Janet Brown(?)was doing amongst old Medici papers in the Vatican.  The latter was one of the joint winners of the Northern Poetry Competition in England in 1989 and both will be appearing in his book the Bradford Count which was published on 27 June 1991. 

 

What

The Bradford Count by Ian Duhig

 

 

Brendan Kennelly said about Ian’s Book of Poetry ‘The Bradford Count’

…Ian Duhig’s witty and bizarre poems are profane and profound, often drawing on tall tales and strange episodes from history, Irish legend and colonial lore. Shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award. ‘Ian Duhig’s world is an exciting blend of the old and the new, the tragic and the comic, the grave and the light-hearted… He rifles mythologies, histories, legends and folklores in a manner that is at once devastating and disarming.’ – Brendan Kennelly…

 

 

 

Archbishop Mar Jacobus Remembers the Baron

(link to download full poem)

 

Even the Syro-Chaldean bishopric I offered

On the strength of ‘Hadrian VII@

Did not tempt Corvo.  As mere Provost

To the Lieutenant of Grandmagistracy

Of Santissima Sophia he fled

To Veniuce, convinced the Rhodes Trustees

Were plotting his assassination…

 

 

 

Splenditello

(link to download full poem)

 

I, Guliano Carlini, third richest man

In Vellano, this scurfedge of the Apennines,

Where our children are assailed by witches

In the shapes of swallows or nightingales,

Which is rich only in undowried girls,

Which is scoffed at even in Pescia,

I do promise and avow, Madonna,

That I will make my house a shrine to you

And my only child, my daughter Benedetta,

Blessed, will be herself a hymn to you…

 

 

Links –

Poetry from Peter Brooke

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Approaching any review is like the start of a journey, you know where you are starting from but you have no idea where the journey is going to take you, what side-tracks or falls you may have and whether you will enjoy the journey because not all journeys are enjoyable.  I was asked to review two completely different booklets of poetry from Peter Brooke, the first “To a Mask” covers the period Oct 2013-Dec 2014, the second is a series of poems entitled “8 poems” translated from the French of Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes and published in 2020.

Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes - Poetry from Peter Brooke

Georges Ribemont Dessaignes

Peter’s first booklet embraces ‘Politics and Theology, a central piece of his life.  Peter is an artist, writer, and educationalist with a depth and breadth of knowledge that enables him to write and interpret extremely well for himself and others.

There are twenty-one poems in this slim booklet which cover a painting by Antonia Spowers to Little Children to Christian Love to The Book of Mormon to his final piece The Wrath of God.

I am not a poet, indeed generally I find poetry to be boring and of little relevance to me at all.  But each piece in this booklet has a line(s) that stop you and make you think.  They haven’t made me turn to ‘God’ as I feel that the god that churches and religion speak about is one made up by so many people as a way of comforting and also of controlling others.  But, you can read Peter Brooke’s prose, indeed dip into it, and think, and surely that is what any good writing should do.

 

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Now in his second booklet, “8 poems” Peter Brooke has gone back to his love of art and to his own love of Gleizes, a Cubist avant-garde artist who was a contemporary of Georges Ribemont-Dessagnes, and a solid member of the Dada movement.  So when reading these poems by Georges you have to align yourself to that time period and Dadaism which was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (c. 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915,[2][3] and after 1920 Dada flourished in Paris. Dadaist activities lasted until c. the mid 1920s. (Wikipedia).

 

…‘What were you born of, poet? Of time and space,

Without beginning or end,…’

 

The ‘8 poems’ move through the origins of a poet, to childhood, to looking at (through) a mirror, youth, knowledge and old age / wax beauty.  They flow well in this interpretation by Peter, and I found these poems somewhat more reachable, but, yet again on a literal medium I can understand and interpret the words and they conjure up pictures, I still don’t know if the pictures being created are those that the poet was aiming for, and with that thought, I think I will have to accept that poetry is and can only be subjective to the reader.  I know what I like, exactly in the same way as you do, but we can agree to disagree and remain friends.

Links:

 

Campfire [Kampvuur] – Gay Short Film 2000 – Movie Review

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Campfire is a coming-out movie set during a short camping trip for scouts in Europe.  Tijl has a crush on Wout, both the total opposite of each other in character.   Tijl is quiet, serious, sensitive, whilst Wout is outgoing without inhibitions and often fails to think through his actions.

Campfire

The movie highlights the many problems of love, especially when you are young and don’t recognise the patterns of love, know anything about the pitfalls, and really don’t know how to communicate your love.  But it also, shows what happens between two individuals when one falls totally in love, and for the other, it is something he wants to experience but not necessarily something he wants to continue.  It also shows the cliquishness of youth, and the rejection of one of the in-crowd because he broke a taboo.

It is a beautifully photographed movie and the music used is in the main subtle and not obtrusive.

The question is really is the movie real?  Would it happen today?  Are the differences in culture?

the movie is real, it feels real, but it is a time capsule.  IN today’s world it would probably be different as today’s youth has so many opportunities for growth in acceptance of gay people,  It is not to say that the rejection will not happen, that on occasions does as you can find out by watching so many of the shortcoming out documentaries on Youtube, but in the main today’s youth is more accepting.  So are there cultural differences; well the movie is from Belgium, and Europe tends to be more open to relationships and love than the conservative United Kingdom or the United States, but social media is changing peoples perceptions.

I would recommend this movie and I know that it was released on DVD, but the chances are that in the main it has passed people by, so if you can find it on one of the TV channel or Youtube watch it and enjoy it.

Campfire

Director:

Bavo Defurne

Writer:

Bavo Defurne

Stars:

Joram Schurmans, Koen Van Heule, Circé Lethem |

 

Links:

 

A Silent Truth – Gay Short Film 2012 – Movie Review

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‘A Silent Truth’ is a short gay movie about reconciling who you are with who other people want you to be.

Ian Foster (Daniel Sovich) has reached a crisis point within himself because he can no longer deny who he is – ‘a gay boy’ with gay feelings.  The problem is that his mother has strong anti-gay feelings, and in consequence heavily stresses to everyone how much of a ladies’ man he is.

The opening scene of ‘A Silent Truth‘ is his birthday party, a home filled full of people (mainly adults) who all seem to be enjoying themselves, but he isn’t.  In parts, it is almost like he is walking around in a dream.  The central piece of the movie is Ian telling his mum why he feels so different. Of course, the movie brings out all the old cliches, including his mum saying ‘it would have probably been better if he hadn’t been born’; and of course he hears this statement!  The concluding scene has his mum flipping around and becoming his totally support and promising to learn everything about how to be there for him.

A Silent Truth deals with a boys feelings, something that too often is trapped over by parents who feel they know what is best for their son!  Of course, the movie is American orientated, and different cultures will deal with the situation probably in a totally different way – indeed we are all too aware of how the Eastern Block countries want to currently handle situations like this, ‘conversion therapy’ at best…  But what this movie does is highlight the problem, the situations that a boy can find himself in, and how they need support, guidance and love.

 

“Life is good, no, life is awesome…”

A Silent Truth

  • Starring: Daniel Sovich, Dani Apple, Dylan Aaron White, Kimberly J. Mahoney, Joy Borland, Ryan Vincent, Brian Richeson, Cole Kornell, Mark Oet, Kathy Vogel, Tonee Purnell, Ralph DiLudovico, Jaclyn Inglis and Katrina Melanie Walker Directed By Peter Anthony Fields
  • Screenplay By Peter Anthony Fields & Evonne Fields-Gould
  • Produced By Peter Anthony Fields, Evonne Fields-Gould, Joy Borland, Quata Tucker

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The LGBT+ Traveller & Roma Calendar

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The LGBT+ Traveller & Roma CalendarThe National LGBT+ Traveller & Roma Action Group has proudly to produced its first ever LGBT+ Traveller & Roma Calendar and has begun distributing to national and regional Traveller and Roma organisations, as well as national and regional LGBT+ organisations this week. Traveller and Roma families and individuals who want to celebrate their LGBT+ identity or express their allyship with LGBT+ members of their communities will also receive copies through their relevant services.

“[It’s about} valuing people differently within our community, rather than coming down on anyone for their sexuality and gender. Accepting people for who they are, is the only way to be, as there is really no right way to be a Traveller. Live and let live!”  Senator Eileen Flynn

Eileen Flynn, the first female Traveller to become a Senator speaks as a proud member of the Action Group.  The National Action Group for LGBT+ Traveller & Roma Rights is a collective that aims to increase the promotion, protection, inclusion and celebration of LGBT+ Traveller & Roma individuals and their families within their communities and organisations and services. Membership of the Group consists of representatives from the LGBT+ Traveller & Roma communities, their national, regional and local organisations as well as LGBT+ organisations and services.

There are potentially 4,000 Travellers on the island of Ireland who are LGBT+ (All Ireland Traveller Health Study 2010; Equality Authority 2002). Higher levels of poor mental health are common both in the Traveller community and the LGBT+ community. Consequently, LGBT+ Travellers and Roma battle layers of discrimination as they strive to find self-acceptance, community acceptance and societal celebration of all of who they are.

“Being gay in the Travelling community is OK and needs more support. If not addressed then this is where the suicide thoughts and depression comes into effect, and when we see young lives dying” says Dillon Collins, an LGBT Traveller.

The Action Group hopes this first calendar will act as a symbol of positive visibility and allyship wherever it is displayed. It also aims to educate as each month marks key historical and important dates for both the Traveller and Roma communities, as well as the LGBTI+ community. Equally important is every month’s display of phone numbers of important mental health support services. The Action Group hopes that more LGBT+ individuals and any concerned family members will reach out to seek the help they need when they need it so that more LGBT+ Travellers and Roma find the peace which Pauline Reilly, LGBT Traveller, describes in the month of February:

“The heart is not bound by conditions of gender, love is an emotion that neither discriminates nor hesitates when it is felt by two people deeply in love”

For a digital copy click here: 2021 LGBT Traveller & Roma Calendar FINAL

Any other queries please email: BecomeaAlly@gmail.com