Cost of childcare frustrates welfare to work objectives [new start news]

Lottery to pilot smaller grants to more groups [new start news]

‘Limited’ executive makes no dent in Scots inequality [new start news]

There will be a meeting of the York Hall Users Group this coming Thursday, 3rd July at 7pm at St. Margaret's House.

There are two main items on the agenda:

1. Feedback and progress report on the work of the Consultative Group

2. Planning the community open meeting on York Hall (see below).

The open meeting is something we have pushed for since the Council first set up the consultative group back in early April. This will be held in York Hall on Tuesday 15th July from 6.30pm-9.00pm - posters and publicity cards will be out this week, as will announcements in the press.

Finally, some of you may be interested in a research project which an LSE masters student has been doing on the York Hall Users Group as a case study in participative democracy! I attach a copy of Helena Trippe's report. In it she says of the planned community meeting:

. "this has been an idea pushed forward by the YHUG since its start. It represents a partial victory in regards to demands for a more transparent and open consultation process. How useful this opportunity renders itself to be depends on the critical need for the YHUG to re-mobilise and make use of its resources, for apathy is settling in as a result of YHUG's institutionalisation and the threat of the redevelopment of the leisure centre as opposed to its refurbishment is still eminent."

The 12-metre-wide remains of a sea creature found by the Chilean navy are puzzling marine scientists, who think it may be a new species. [BBC News | Science/Nature | World Edition]

Pupils whose first language is not English make the most progress throughout their schooling in England. [BBC News | UK News | Education | World Edition]